


Rewind

by Deaths_Adder



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: All theory goes out the window, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Gen, I Don't Even Know, I mean like NO Canon, Not Canon Compliant, Sexual Content, no beta we die like fools
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:20:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 34,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27508255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deaths_Adder/pseuds/Deaths_Adder
Summary: Harry somehow ends up being sixteen almost seventeen again, all she wants to do is end Voldemort and go back to being Viper far, FAR away from the English enclaves.At some point she meets Skull, as she sets up her life again as Viper, but something new happens and well...such is life.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)
Comments: 91
Kudos: 861
Collections: Identity Crisis





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, so I don't know if I should even post this, but I am going to anyway.   
> I had an account on FF.net but it got shut down, so here I am, and with new stories.
> 
> Please enjoy, and well leave me a comment.

There was a pounding in Viper’s head, she clenched her eyes shut and rubbed at her temples trying to relieve the pressure.

Just when she thought that the pain was manageable she heard a voice she hadn't in close to thirty years. 

“Get up Freak!” Her aunt was screaming. “Make breakfast and don't burn it.” 

Opening her eyes to the blurry second bedroom she hadn't seen in a long time she robotically put on the glasses sitting on the side table. She took in the half broken wardrobe that blocked her door, the desk that leaned slightly to the left, the office chair with broken armrests and a lumpy seat. 

“Freak!” was screeched again from the bottom of the stairs, prompting her to pull on the first pair of jeans and shirt she could find, and head down the stairs. 

As she passed a mirror hanging in the hallway she stopped, and stared, that was her, that was her at sixteen, that was her long curly ruby colored hair that hung in large loose curls down to her tailbone, her green eyes, the ugly round glasses that she had worn up until she was eighteen and had fled England. 

What the fuck was going on, last thing she remembered was...was dyeing. She had died because of the Gesso marshmallow loving asshole. He had fucked with the balance of the Tri Ni Sette. 

She had known the entire time what the purpose of the Arcobaleno curse was, there were some books in the Black library written by previous Holders of the pacifiers, though they never did say anything after the curse was taken off. 

Viper made breakfast mechanically, and thought about what she would need to do. 

First would be finding the actual date, and then going to Gringotts after that she would plan more, well plan more as she went to get her eyesight fixed at Oculi Mutatio like she had just before she had left England, that she wanted to do early. 

Viper kind of wondered if her Mist flames were still active as she served breakfast to the zoo that was her blood relatives. 

She waited until they were half way through the food before throwing an illusion over it, making it look like maggots were crawling all over it. Dudley and Petunia screamed. 

As they both took a breath to start again she spoke in an even calm voice. "I will make the three of you a deal. Leave me alone for however long I am here this means cooking your own meals and chores and it will be like I am not here, and once I leave for school you will never see or hear from me again." She offered. 

"You'll be expelled for this freakishness!" Vernon yelled, his face turning the color of a prune. 

"No, this is a different 'freakishness', one much more dangerous." She admitted having chains wrap around their necks. "I could kill you just like this." The chains tightened, cutting off their air supply. 

Vernon looked at her, really looked at her and saw her blank face, completely apathetic at the thought of ending their lives and nodded. 

"Good choice." The chains disappeared and the food went back to looking normal as she turned on her heel and left the silent kitchen. 

She swiped all the notes from her aunt's purse before creating a Mist portal to the alleyway that would let her into Diagon, she kind of wished that she could simply portal next to the bank but they had some rather creative alarms. 

Entering the alley she applied an illusion to her features, making her eyes blue and her hair a strawberry blonde, magicals were all idiots and wouldn't look past the hair color. 

She slinked along the shadows in the alley, it really wasn't hard with how empty and gloomy it was given that the 'war' had only kicked off really a year ago. She made a quick mental note to go stop and see the twins, and purchase a large amount of instant darkness powder. 

When she reached the bank she let the illusion drop, it would do no good if the goblins thought she was a thief. 

The bank was practically empty, only two of the six tellers were occupied so she marched right on up to one and in her most bored voice stated. "I will see my account manager." 

She had read a book that had told her that goblins shared the idea that 'time is money' with her, so she would treat them like she wanted to be treated some days. 

The tellers beady eyes looked at her scar and then at her eyes. "Yes Miss Potter." He sounded like he had been gargling rocks recently. 

"Now please. Time is money and you are wasting both of mine." She pointed out a little snappishly. Apparently she would need to step out to France at some point as well for the scar removal potion she had used the first time around. 

The goblin grunted at her waving a clawed hand to follow him. 

He took her down the twisting hallways with gold doors lining each side, it made her mourn a little, such a waste of gold. 

The goblin knocked on the door bearing the name 'Stormcrusher' on it, getting a grumbled answer that was spoken in gobbledygook. 

Once the door was open for her she swept in, not taking up precious time with greeting she simply stated what she wanted and needed. 

"I need a full in depth blood test and a purge of all foreign magicks, you will recall all artifacts, books and money taken from my accounts, and you will take the golden cup on the back shelf in the Lestrange vault and remove the soul shard that is in it when you remove the one from me." 

Stormcrusher just blinked at her, making her huff. "Now please. What is it with everyone wasting time today, I have money to make so quickly please." 

Shaking his head hard enough to make his ears flop around Stormcrusher pulled out a simple steel dagger and a roll of parchment. 

"Thirteen drops of blood on the parchment, this will cost six gallions." He informed her. 

Viper roller her eyes. "Yes take it from my trust vault." She sliced open the middle finger of her right hand and counted the drops of blood as they splashed on the parchment. 

She hissed quietly in parseltongue sending a healing spell at her finger and a cleaning spell at the dagger before handing it back hilt first. 

Stormcrusher looked at her with wide eyes for her casual use of wandless magic. 

Her blood soaked into the parchment and started spreading out to form words. 

_ Current Date: July 27, 1997 10:27  _

_ Birth Name: Harriet Lillith Potter-Black (Emancipated) _

_ Chosen Name: Viper _

_ Birthdate: July 31, 1980, 23:55 (Sixteen years of age) _

_ Father(s): James Potter (deceased) _

_ Sirius Black (deceased) _

_ Mother(s): Lily Potter nee Evans (deceased)  _

_ Living Relatives: Petunia Dursley nee Evans  _

_ Dudley Dursley  _

_ Tom Riddle - Lord Voldemort  _

_ Bond(s): Dobby (House Elf) _

_ Kreacher (House Elf)  _

_ Lordship(s): (Pending Claim) _

_ Potter _

_ Black  _

_ Slytherin  _

_ Emerys _

_ La’ Fay  _

_ Ravenclaw _

_ Blocks/Spells/Potions: ### _

_ Core Block: 75% Blocked  _

_ Soul Fragment 10% Leach (1.7% of Soul)  _

_ Eidetic Memory 90% Blocked  _

_ Language Affinity 90% Blocked  _

_ Animagus 90% Blocked _

_ Shame Compulsion  _

_ Reckless Compulsion _

_ Mail Ward  _

_ Loyalty Potion(s) _

_ Love Potion(s) _

“Please Stormcrusher, tell me what you see wrong with this.” She demanded of him. “And while you are at it you can explain why you haven't investigated why I haven't responded to any mail that should have come from Gringotts.”

Stormcrusher sputtered, “Miss Potter, we at Gringotts apologize for this oversight. We will rectify this as soon as possible.”

Viper shook her head. “I do not care for apologies, I want action and respirations. The cleansing will be free of charge, and like I said you will recall everything to my vaults other than the six hundred galleons I have had taken out every year since I started school. If you recall everything with a five percent interest you may keep the interest and it will cover the cleansing many times over and you will be doing it at least once more at a later date on a necklace.” She refused to pay for something they should have done when she was eleven. 

Stormcrusher grit his teeth, looking very angry but agreed nonetheless. It wasn't her fault that Griphook had not followed proper procedures. 

The cleansing was painful but short, she had been handed a potion and told to drink it and then told to strip and stand in a pool of crystalline water. The water had turned black as she writhed in pain under the surface of the water and it leached the foreign magicks from her. 

As it turned out they had thrown the goblet from the Lestrange vault in as well, well it was kind of her fault for saying they would do it at the same time. 

After the cleansing she claimed her six lordships and pulled six thousand gallions from her trust vault some of which she had them give her in gold bullion, next stop Oculi Mutatio.

By the time Viper was almost done with her little spending spree she had gotten her eyesight fixed, bought a new multi compartment automatic shrinking trunk, bought all the parslescript books in Knockturn Alley, her school books for seventh year (not that she would be going), hair color changer, dozens of new black hooded robes in acromantula silk, and any other book that caught her fancy. 

She had chosen to forgo seeing the twins at their shop as it looked very crowded and she didn't want to risk being exposed. 

Exiting the Alley she was very happy that she hadn't been discovered by either fans, the roasted turkeys, or the death munchers. 

She next stopped by the corner store to pick up a few sandwiches and bottles of water (thank you auntie), planning a grocery run for the next day after she hit a pawn shop to switch the gold for muggle cash. 

Once back in her dingy little room she sorted out her belongings both old and new placing them in her trunk neatly. Just because she was sixteen again didn't mean she would be a slob. 

Selecting a book from her new collection on Animagus she sat back to read for the rest of the day. 

Three days and two more shopping trips and a quick raid of the Black library (thank fuck the locket was still in the house) later she was picked up by the order of fried turkeys. Playing along with their admittedly terrible plan. 

They left her aunt and uncle's house behind. 

Everything happened the same, Mundungus fled, George lost his ear, Moody died, and her Hedwig sacrificed herself to protect Viper. 

But this time in the chaos of the interrupted wedding she had her shrunken trunk on a necklace so there would be no starving this time. 

Arriving in downtown London she quickly pulled her two 'friends' into an alleyway to change out of their clothes into something more acceptable. 

This time the Horcrux hunt was much easier, they snuck into the bank where Viper dropped off Slytherins necklace to be destroyed.

It was three days after that that had Ron storming away from them in a fit of anger that put the original one to shame, but this time Hermoine followed him. 

Viper shrugged as she packed up camp and left with a Mist portal to gather information on when Voldemort was planning his attack on Hogwarts. 

After she had learnt that there was no plan other than waiting for her to show up she went to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes and bought out their supply of Peruvian instant darkness powder. 

She had a glorious plan for using it. She knew that Voldemort had put the taboo on his name already so her plan was to go hang out in a forest and say his name and take out any snatchers or death eaters that showed up. The powder would be used to cover who it was that was using the taboo so no-one who got away would ever know it was her.

Viper used this plan a few times before she noticed Pansy Parkenson was one of her victims, this made her burst out in insane laughter. She killed the girl before she could suggest giving her to the dark lord after they took Hogwarts 'back'. 

But her death also hit her with another brilliant plan. Viper smothered herself in mist flames and portaled to Malfoy Manor. 

She found it was very hard to act as Pansy had, but she pulled through nicely. Especially when she got into a 'fight' with Malfoy jr. and snatched his wand from his hand before flouncing off, hips swaying hard to make her skirt bounce enough to flash her ass to the world as a distraction. 

She slipped into the Malfoy library after that and flinched all the books it held, even the 'hidden' ones before portaling away to where her tent sat on the other end of the forest of Dean from where she originally started. 

Her sneaking into Hogwarts in the late fall was in no way as dramatic as the last time. She went through the front doors enough Mist flames covering her that she figured someone would notice, turns out Snape did. He had dragged her into his office and started ranting at her. 

Having had enough of the rant she cast a silencing spell at him and handed him the test she had done at the bank. 

"Did you know if not for how Malfoy acted I would have been a snake?" She asked him, calmly. "Did you know that most half-bloods that enter Slytherin are abused?" 

He nodded at her, his face a mask of anger mixed with confusion. 

"Did you know I slept in a cupboard under the stairs before I was invited here? That I have 'freak' carved into the side of my thigh? That my whale of a cousin used to beat me up every day to the point that my fingers will never be straight? That I thought my name was Freak until I started primary?" She questioned but didn't wait for an answer. 

"I know everything that Dumbledore planned, but I am not a soul container anymore, there are only two left. I am here to destroy the one in the castle. When that is done evacuate the students and I will send out a call for the order. But first give me your arm." She demanded holding out her hand. 

Wryly he placed his left wrist in her grasp, sleeve rolled to his elbow. When she started hissing at the brand on his arm he flinched lightly. 

There was a quick build up of magic in the air before the snake and skull seemed to shatter and flake away. 

She then informed him. " Your life debt to James has been more than paid, as have my own. Leave with the students and do not come back to England. Snake-face is planning to kill you and when this is over the sheeple will only linch you, if you need help after you only need to search for 'Mist Viper'." 

Leaving the silent man in his office she wandered her way into Slytherins chamber and collected the body of the basilisk and went further into the back of the statue where last time she had found a library and raided that as well. 

She skipped her way up to the seventh floor to the room of requirement and required Raveclaws diadem as it was hers by birthright as lady Ravenclaw. 

A quick Avada Kedavra saw the soul piece dyeing and that too was placed away in her trunk. 

She tripped down the stairs, falling into a quickly passing Neville grabbing his shoulders she instructed him. "Nev! I solemnly swear I am up to no good! Gather the defense association who want to fight, anyone of age! Make the younger ones leave to protect the students being evacuated." 

She let him go with a quick peck to his cheek and took off again towards Snape's office. Running into the Avery twins took a moment for a quick bone crushing curse at their wand arms, and a knockback jinx made them hit the wall knocking them out. 

Snape wasn't there but as she was running down the halls she saw him directing students and the heads of house. 

Quickly lighting the floo she called Shakelbot and told him to assemble the order and any auror's willing to fight then to come through the floo in Snape's office. 

She dashed off again, she needed to let the DA know to work with Snape not against him. 

It took two hours to evacuate the students, in that time a large group of adults started pouring in. She directed them to start preparing for battle, to strengthen the wards and mobilise the suits of armor and statues. 

Once she had given everyone a task she had Fred and George make her two port key's for the Avery twins on one she tacked a message 'Come and get me you ugly snake faced fucker!' And sent her off, on the other she put 'p.s. I'm at Hogwarts' and sent him off. 

Her laughter had the twins looking at her worried. 

She grabbed their hands and dragged them with her in search for Neville. 

Once she found him she ordered. "Make sure to tell everyone if they see a snake to cut off its head. The snake  _ needs _ to die." 

When Voldemort finally showed his forces were lesser due to her little trick with the taboo but they still outnumbered her own. 

Viper was the one to run into Nagini and with a quick cutting hex she was dealt with without much fuss, unless you counted the high pitched scream of utter fury from the dark lord. 

That fight was over equally quickly, but this time instead of Avada Kedavra vs Expelliarmus it was Crucio vs a magic draining curse so old and obscure that it would drain his followers that were marked as well. 

It didn't take long for the death eaters to start dropping like flies. Voldemort had crumbled to ash by the time the curse had run its course, she was mildly disappointed as she swiftly tucked the elder wand under her sweater before she faced the cheering masses. 

This time the only people they lost were three students and six auror's. She was happy that Teddy would have his parents this time around, and that George wouldn't be driven to suicide from looseing Fred. 

Viper didn't celebrate, but she did ask McGonagall if she could take her NEWT's right away. 

Given it was almost the end of the first semester McGonagall protested as Viper had not been in any classes so far that year, but Viper won that argument by saying she had plenty of time to go through all the texts needed. 

She took her exams, when her results came back she was very pleased, even more so when she had shared them with Mcgonagall proving that she had been ready. 

It was Christmas time that Viper hit the bank again, she cleaned out all but one of her vaults. 

All gold was converted to gold bullion to sell in the muggle world as she got a much better conversion rate there than in the magical world. Viper had left behind ten thousand gallions in a vault just so they would keep any other vaults she left open. 

All books were safely stored into three expanded trunks, all holding up to ten thousand books, with enough safety charms to protect them from the apocalypse. 

All jewelry was sorted between four categories; keep, sell muggle, sell magical, and cursed and placed into color coded trunks of their own.

Weapons were treated much like the jewelry, the only difference being that all the magical and cursed weapons were sold to the goblins instead of seeing it they could be fenced. 

The portraits were all shuffled into one vault to be left behind. 

Now all that was left was for her to disappear from England, she had warned the goblins she was doing this in case people tried to claim she was dead, telling them that she was going to Paris and would check in with the bank there. 

Before she left she handed Remus, the twins, Luna and Neville two way diaries and told them she would keep in touch, but not to search for her. 

Then she was gone. 


	2. Chapter 2

Viper didn’t bother with a plane or portkey but did as she had been doing since she came back and was sixteen she used a Mist portal to get to Paris, this is where she claimed to have been born and raised after all, but now she would need to set up her spy network again.

She had been ridiculously happy that she had an affinity for languages, it meant that she could learn to speak anything, and that even included animals and insects. 

Breeding a new type of long lived insect would only benefit her, and with magic it would be as easy as breathing, but until then she would have the snakes, frogs and birds be her little informants, along with her Mist spies. 

After she had gotten her very small and limited web set up she bought a building in the slums of the underworld in all the large cities in France, had them demolished and rebuilt into apartments that she would offer children in the slums for information. Sometimes a roof over their heads was enough to get them to pick up their lives and make them better. 

The apartments filled quickly, it was a fair trade most believed, so now she had children and teens that were usually ignored and animals as part of her network. 

Part of using humans to network let her move some children into other cities and countries, thus starting a rumor that if she was given bad or outdated information she killed the person who gave it to her. 

It worked, it made the children and teenagers double check the information. 

It had taken a full three months to have everything running smoothly in the apartments, in that time she had created a magical breed of Dragonflies by splicing actual dragon DNA into them, it let them live up to ten years and would eventually wipe out the original Dragonflies, it worked for her, she was just replacing the original species with her own, and they got into places no one else could. 

After everything was moving smoothly in France she moved on to do the same in all the large cities in the U.K., Spain. Portugal, and Ireland just to start with. 

Just after her nineteenth birthday her network was finally large enough, she started being recognized as one of, if not  _ the _ best information broker in western Europe, her human informants were completely loyal to her, having given them a purpose and a roof over their heads made most of them worship her. 

Six months later one of her Dragonflies caught a conversation about a man with unusual hair looking for ‘Mammon’ in the back streets of Milan, She wondered if it was one of her fellow Arcobaleno. 

With a quick phone call she set a tail on him from one of her apartment complexes, and she added in a few Dragonflies just to be safe. 

It took a week for an information package to be emailed to her.

_ Name: Stephan  _

_ Sex: Male _

_ Age: Apx 20  _

_ Hair: Blonde _

_ Eye: N/A _

_ Height: Six’ _

_ Looking for: ‘Mammon’/ Mist/ Tattoos triangle purple on cheeks/ miser/ information broker/likes strawberry milk/ Varia?/ hooded cloak/ wants meeting  _

There wasn't much, but if this was one of the Arcobaleno they were doing a really bad job at searching for her, and why they were only looking for her she kind of wanted answers. 

The only one out of the group who had been blonde was Colonnello, but he was younger than her by almost ten years, other than Reborn and Skull (surprisingly) she was one of the oldest out of them. Both of the others had been hedge wizards, that was the reason that they never saw her face, she wasn't going to take the chance of someone recognizing her. 

She took a few days to think about setting up a meeting, before giving in and sending off a message to her tail on the man to meet her at the café on Main in two days. 

Two days later she was floored at seeing an older and younger Blonde Skull without any of his usual makeup. 

"Skull. Time is money." She used her usual greeting. 

Wide blue eyes that were starting to turn the beautiful purple she recalled, stared at her from behind shaggy blonde hair. 

"Really Skull, or is it Stephan? You were searching for me and here I am." Her voice was dry. 

"M-Mammon?" 'Blonde Skull' stuttered. 

"Yes Stephan?" Viper was torn between being amused and exasperated. 

"Yo-your hair is-is red! Why didn't I know your hair was red!" 'Blonde Skull' exclaimed, looking utterly bewildered. 

"Yesss Sssstephan, my hair issss red, and my eyessss are green." Viper was now annoyed and hissing like the snake her name was. 

"Right...right. So…" At 'Blonde Skull's' hesitancy to speak, Viper felt her right eye begin to twitch. 

"Spit it out Stephan" She snapped at him.

"Right so do you know why we are back, And so far? Like I mean I died and when I woke up I'm twenty-two again, and I didn't really become Skull for another three years, when I was twenty-five, and my hair and eyes are changing already, and that didn't happen until I became Skull. I'm really confused. You were the only one I trust to have the answers." 'Blonde Skull' ranted at her before fading off into silence. Viper felt a tug on her heart strings that Skull trusted her. 

"No clue, I woke up two years ago, just before my seventeenth birthday. Had my Mist already, you're probably Cloudy early too. My guess as to why the two of us are so early? We both die and don't stay dead, Lord Death wanted us here for some reason." She answered as honestly as she could, surprised that she didn't really want to charge him for the information. Viper had always had a soft spot for Skull.

'Blonde Skull' twitched when she said they both had issues staying dead. 

Viper really needed to know if she should be calling him Stephan or Skull, maybe she should ask. "Are you Stephan or Skull? I mean what am I supposed to call you?"

He just blinked owlishly at her for a few moments. "Uhhh...I don't feel like Stephan Krum anymore." 

Vipers eyes widened and it was her turn to stare, before weakly asking. "Krum as in Victor Krum? As in Bulgarian seeker Krum? As in Triwizard participant Krum? As in Vanessa Krum? The youngest charms and runes mistress Krum?" 

Skull blushed bright red, "Vanessa is my older sister, and well given that Victor is my nephew, but we grew up more like cousins." 

Viper then remembered the few facts she had gathered about Stephan Krum. "Holy fuck! You're Stephan Krum. At twenty-four your brother-in-law tried to kill you, at twenty-five you did die...from a broom stunt accident...you were the creator of the firebolt! Holy fuck! How did I not know you!?!" She stopped stunned, before stating one more fact, quietly as if she didn't want him to hear it. "I saved you from your brother-in-law, I had stopped in to say hello to Victor...who was a friend...and I stepped in front of that Avada." Viper finished lost in thought. 

"Harriet? Are you really Harriet?" Skull's screech woke her from dark thoughts. 

"Shush! I am Viper, Harriet was a pawn and a weapon to Shepell, Viper is a different monster." She insisted in a hushed voice. She really needed Skull to understand. 

Realization dawned on his face making the tension seep from her shoulders. "In private you can call me Lillith if you want." Viper offered, she didn't really care about who Skull had been, she more than got needing a new start. 

Skull's smile was blinding in its brilliance. He had a boyish charm to him that surprised her, you could never tell under the makeup. 

Tentatively she made him an offer. "Do...do you have anywhere to stay? If...if you are thinking of leaving 'Stephan' behind early, cause if you want I have space...I could...you could stay with me in Paris…" 

God's she hated how awkward she was. 

Skull dove across the table they had been sitting at to bundle her up in a hug, he was smiling like a madman, crystalline tears hanging in the corners of his eyes but refusing to fall. 

"I'll take that as a yes. You have two days, I will be back here in two days at the same time to portal us so no-one can trace you." Her voice was muffled in his shoulder where he was pressing her face. 

Nodding enthusiastically Skull let her go with a kiss to her cheek that had her blushing and took off without a backward glance. 

Viper rolled her eyes at him as he disappeared around the corner of a building, she didn't understand why the man would act like such a fool when he was almost on her level of intelligence. 

Then again, she had worn the mask of a fool for years, and had only taken it off when she was free. 

This time she would make sure to understand the real Skull, she had always felt an odd draw to him, and she was sure it wasn't the odd death thing, she hadn't known that when she had stepped in front of the killing curse for him, and it had nothing to do with the 'saving people thing' she had been forced to have. 

Viper shook her head, she didn't want to think about this. She had another lead to track down for a client. 

She completely ignored the voice in the back of her head whispering that a makeup free Skull was very cute, and when his eyes bled back into the purple of his flame he would be someone she would take a third or even fourth look at. 

Two days later she arrived at the café right on time to see Skull standing there waiting for her with an almost wistful look on his face. 

Once Skull had caught sight of her his eyes widened comically. "You left the hooded cloak behind." He stated the obvious. 

Viper had chosen to wear a black dress that flared out from under her bust, the hem line hit her knees; she had her hair up in a messy bun baring her neck, with random curls framing her face and a pair of high heeled ankle boots. 

Viper rolled her eyes. "Yes Skull, you already know who I am, and I don't like to wear the cloak all the time, dressed like this I go by Lillith." She informed him.

Skull blinked slowly, like he was having issues processing the information he was being given. 

Viper held out her hand. "Come along Skull, we are stopping in the Latin Quarter. I have a craving for some good coffee and Petit Fours." 

Instead of just holding her hand, Skull entwined their fingers in a more intimate hold than she had expected 

With a barely visible blush speed across her cheeks and nose she pulled him behind her through her portal. 

Skulls grin was wide when she didn't pull her hand away after they exited, but just used it to drag him along behind her. 

They weaved their way through the crowd's to a little café that stood on the corner of the street. 

Once they were directed to a table and had ordered Viper decided to ask. "Do you need any help setting up your new identity?" 

Skull just nodded cringing a little at the thought of how much she would charge him. 

"Do you want to go as DeMort again?" Viper asked with humor coloring her tone. 

Skull looked thoughtful, his stare going a little distant. "Does it bother you? Cause you could totally pick something else if it does. I picked it as a kind of a hat tip to you after all." 

Viper blinked a little confused noise passing her lips. 

Skull blinked back to the present taking her noise as a demand to explain. "You defeated Voldemort, then you stepped in front of the killing curse for me. I didn't know you had survived. I had kind of shut down and became a hermit. So when I did finally leave I had wanted a way to both remember the girl who saved me, and to make fun of the man who had tormented her." A blush bloomed across his cheeks and up his ears at that admission. 

Viper felt touched that he had cared enough to do that, it was kind of dark but she likes dark things, liked that he entertained muggle's with that name if only to rub it in Voldemorts face. 

Nodding and whispering a quiet "Thank you." As their drinks and pastries were delivered, she looked back at Skull and with finality lacing her tone she said. "It's perfect, thank you." 

Skull's blush deepened in color at her words, he coughed into his fist and looked away. 

"You'll be staying with me in my flat, so don't kill my Dragonflies, and I do keep odd hours sometimes. My only real rules are don't make too much of a mess, and please don't bring any lovers back." 

Skull nodded along with her words, the flush he had finally managed to get rid of making a new appearance when she brought up lovers. 

Taking a bite of her strawberry petit four she moaned not realizing it, making Skull flush hotter and try to shove his whole miniature cake into his mouth at once. 

He cleared his throat after swallowing and wrestling down his blush again. "How much would you like in rent and for the new identity?" He asked, figuring it was better just to get the figure now so he could convert some gold. 

Viper blinked at him a little startled, her fork hovering in her hand with the second half of her treat. "Nothing Skull. I should have done more to get Reborn and Colonnello to leave you alone, just making it look like you were always two inches to the left wasn't really fair, but by that time I was so angry at having to be around what I had thought were two hedge wizards i just let them bully you." She admitted a little pained at having to point out her own shortcomings. 

Skull was shaking his head rapidly. "No, you did enough. I had always wondered why they missed." 

"Still no charge." She was firm in this, she trusted Skull. 

They finished their treats in silence. Skull thinking about the turn his second chance had taken. Viper deep in thought about when she had given her trust to Skull. 

Viper paid the bill quietly, before holding her hand out to Skull again, refusing to admit she liked the contact. "Don't want you getting lost in the crowds, it would be a pain to look for you." 

Slipping his fingers between hers, Skull just wanted to understand why his heart was skipping a beat, and why Viper was acting so oddly. 

Viper didn't let go of Skull's hand until they had entered her penthouse flat in one of the poorer parts of Paris. 

"Living room is to the left, kitchen to the right, first bathroom is the first door on the left, second is the last door on the right, my bedroom is the second door on the right, your room will be the first on the left, and the laundry closet is the first door on the right." Viper gave a quick verbal tour of the living space as she headed into the living room to drop onto the couch with a tired huff. 

She heard more than saw Skull walk passed where she lay boneless on the couch, opening a door but not shutting it. 

"There is a parking space in the parkade, and if you want to build your own motorcycle again you can do it in the living room, but that will cost you building me one too." She called out hoping he heard her.

There was a quiet bang if something was being run into, and soft cursing. It made Viper smile. She didn't know if this was going to work, but she wanted the company badly enough that she would forgive a lot. 

When Skull finally emerged he had a peaceful half smile on his face. Viper was watching him through half lidded eyes, wanting to observe him and piece together his puzzle. 

Skull moved on surprisingly silent feet, the only sound giving away his position was the rasp of his jeans and the soft ruffle of his shirt. 

He sat at the other end where Vipers feet were, and looked at the relaxed young woman, he wanted to ask her so many questions but didn't know if it would be welcomed. 

Watching the slow rise and fall of her chest he decided to suggest an exchange of questions. "Vi-Lillith, would you like to..uhh...can I ask you some questions, you can ask back, question for question?" He hated how unsure he sounded.

Viper nodded flopping her hand around in indication for him to proceed. 

"Did you ever find out who entered you in the tournament?" He thought that was a safe-ish question to start off with. 

Viper grunted, "Barty Crouch Jr. thought to be dead ten years prior when his father switched him out of Azkaban for his dying mother, and then kept him under the imperious curse until he forgot to reapply it. He was Polyjuiced as my DADA teacher that year." 

"Oh." He was a little dumbstruck, not expecting that answer. 

"Why pretend to be an idiot?" Viper asked him, he winced apparently she wasn't going to pull any punches.

"Ahh...people tend to not like having someone smarter or better than them around. I may not be the best hitman but I am better at being overlooked and getting out of tight places, and well I do have multiple degrees, Verde wasn't the smartest of us, just a mad scientist." He felt his face shift into a sheepish look. 

"You're an idiot." Viper dug the heel of her bare foot into the side of his thigh. 

Skull huffed and asked. "Why did you leave?"

"Why did you?" She shot back, draping her arm over her eyes she took in a deep breath. "I couldn't take being forced into a cage any longer, my friends were only with me cause they were being paid, the family I thought of as my own were the same. Dumbledore put me in an abusive house with blood relatives. I learned to hate the wizarding world as much as I did my blood relatives. They always wanted more from me and I had no more to give." Her voice wavered a few times, but she told him, spoke openly for most of her reasons. 

"There's more, isn't there?" Skull whispered slightly horrified. 

Viper sighed, apparently she wouldn't get away with half truths. "They planned on forcing me to marry into my best friend's family, the third eldest brother. I was going to be treated like a broodmare to create an army of powerful magic users. I took issue with that, and left. The contract they had written up didn't have my real birth name on it so I was able to get free on a technicality." This time she whispered her answer, not willing to hear it given at regular volume. 

Skull's face was white with horror and his mouth was twisted in a deep frown. Apparently the English were all power hungry fools. He was glad she had slipped her leash.

After a few minutes to get her emotions back under her control, Viper spoke again. "Last question and then i need to go to sleep, why did you leave?" 

Skull dropped his chin to his chest, letting out a deep sigh of resignation. "My father was a Grindelwald supporter, my interest in muggle machinery disgusted him, among other things about me. My mother died giving birth to me, Vanessa raised me. My core is gray which was always a big no no in the Krum family. Really, I never felt like I belonged with them, too open, too happy, too loud, too much curiosity." He paused, taking a deep breath.

"All I've ever wanted was to be free." 

Skull's words hung in the air, heavy and the basic truth to both of them. Viper sat up and kneeled on the couch, before giving Skull an awkward hug. 

She whispered, "Good night Skull." Before she stood and wandered into her room, heart both strangely heavy and light. 

The next morning saw Viper up before the sun. She made breakfast for both herself and Skull, leaving his much larger portion under a preservation charm. 

Viper left a note under a compact mirror telling Skull she would be out for most of the day, and if he needed her to say Lillith three times into the mirror, and she would answer if she could. She had also decided to leave a second note with a large pile of cash, this one she had told him to go find parts for motorcycles and to remind him that payment was to be in the form of one for herself. 

Donning her cloak, Viper portaled out to the little clearing she had warded, and left the nest for her Dragonflies. With Skull being shunted back into the past two years after her she decided that she would need to set a few of them on the others, hoping she could catch them early, and maybe even set up some sort of working relationship. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so anyone who actually stopped to read Rewind  
> I will be only posting chapters ones I have the next one half way finished...  
> I know it sucks, buuuuuut It's the way I work soooo  
> Sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

It took a week for Skull to fall into a routine with Viper. She usually woke before dawn, cooked them breakfast and then left to gather information or to sell it to the highest bidder. He would wake a few hours later to breakfast hot on the table, then he would usually wander off to junk yards and pick-and-pull lots for bike parts, then he would go back to the flat and work on building Viper’s bike first. 

Viper usually was back by the time Skull had started cooking them dinner, they would eat together and sometimes she would leave again and others she would sprawl on the couch with a laptop or her phone and sort through things that her network had sent her. 

The only thing that had made him scream like a little girl was the first time a snake had slithered into the flat, and laid on a heated rock in the corner he hadn't noticed, and after he had calmed down from his high pitched scream, the two of them had a stare off until Viper had come home. 

She had laughed at him, and once the snake started to hiss at her and she back to it, she had laughed harder at him for just sitting like a statue, eyes wide and torn between being fascinated and scared for his life with a venomous snake in the room. 

A month after Skull had started living with her, Viper had come home early only to witness something that had her flustered and rushing right back out. She had portaled into the living room, not wanting to bother with the front door and was surprised to find The Beach Boys playing on her sound system, and Skull covered in grease and shirtless. His back muscles had shifted attractively under his skin as he sang along to the song. 

Viper had to bite back her squeak as she stepped right back into her portal without taking her eyes off the skin Skull had on display, a light sheen of sweat that when the light hit it just right enhanced the contours of the muscle. Sure she had known that Skull wasn't lacking in his physical build, he was related to Victor Krum after all, but it hadn't registered fully that when he wasn't acting the fool making himself look smaller that he had a runner's build, all corded muscle not a speck of fat to be found, his shoulders were wide and hips narrow. 

The portal allowing her to see into her flat winked close cutting of her view and allowed her to turn around and rush off to her safe house in Frankfurt, Germany. 

She needed some time alone to sort out her attraction to Skull, and hopefully stuff it into a box deep in the back of her mind to be ignored and forgotten. 

Skull had called her compact communication mirror, worried that she had missed dinner. She was pretty sure that she hadn't been able to hide her blush as she said she would be gone a few days running down some information. 

Truthfully she just didn't know how to handle to attraction, she had never really been attracted to anyone before, she had thought she was just asexual which had led to her going by the more gender neutral pronouns.

Suddenly feeling attraction to her flat mate scared the living daylights out of her. 

Skull was worried, Viper had been gone a full week, and when he had called her her face had been flushed and her eyes were wide in panic, he had never seen that look on her face and it had unsettled him. It made his Cloud instincts roar to protect her, which baffled him a little. 

When Viper returned she had apparated into the flat and onto the floor in the kitchen with a grunt of pain and the sound of bare skin slapping onto linoleum. 

Skull rushed into the room, and gasped at her appearance. Viper had manacles attached to her wrists, a cut across her cheek, a split lip, and a very deep and bleeding wound in her side. 

He fell to his knees and scrambled across the floor, sliding through Viper's blood. As he started to propagate her natural healing and blood supply. 

Viper was dazed yet had crystal focus, She had only been captive with the Estrano familia for twenty-four hours, they wanted to test if a strong flame user could manifest a secondary or tertiary flame. 

They had caught her off guard with a poisoned dart in the middle of neutral territory, catching her as the drug had taken effect. 

She was missing about twenty-two of the twenty-four hours, but she had woken up and they had used a broadsword to cut into her side. They had watched her for almost an hour as she bled out before her magic cut in and acting on its own will had imperioused the scientists to leave, wrapped around her and apparated her home to Skull. 

Seeing him hovering over her and feeling the comforting heat of his flames working through her body, Viper smiled at him with bloody teeth and lips before she let go of her conscious thoughts once more. 

Skull was so focused on getting more blood running through Vipers veins and closing her wounds he didn't notice that the room had gained an extra being until her side was closed, a thick scar the only proof of her injury. 

When he did notice he yelped, grabbed Vipers body and started to scramble backwards with one hand and his feet in an awkward shuffle. 

" _ Peace, I only came to check on my mistress."  _ The being said with what sounded like millions of voices overlapping each other. 

Skull watched the androgynous being shift where they sat cross legged hovering over the floor. He must have made a noise of inquiry because the being started to speak again. 

" _ Harriet Lillith Potter-Black is my mistress, she collected the three Hallows without any greed in her heart in the first life she led in this world, I sent her far enough back to split the timelines after Gesso had killed her. The Fates had only wanted you all sent back ten years."  _

"Okay...who are you?" Skull was confused and terrified, he didn't like it. 

_ "I am Death."  _ Was the simple answer that only created more questions. 

"Oh okay? Why was I sent back so early?" Skull figured this question was pretty important. 

" _ Ah, that Skull of Death was because I felt like it. You and my mistress were so entertaining, denying the pull you always felt to one another. The woman I refuse to reap and the man who constantly escapes my grasp."  _ Death sighed like Skull was actively trying to get away from him at those times. " _ Your souls have been connected from their creation, but the relationship between you has never been clear even to me. I wanted to watch you two struggle again. It fascinates me how you humans deny yourselves what your soul craves." _

Skull thought that Death was kind of a sadistic asshole. 

" _ My mistress will awaken soon, you will only be able to recall that I was here to check up on her, and to inform you of your connection to me as my mistresses guard, the others will join you slowly." _ Death warned him, laughter coating the millions of voices it spoke with. " _ Be sure to entertain me some more."  _ Death quipped before disappearing without a trace. 

Skull's eyes glazed over for a split second as some of the information he had been given faded into fuzzy unimportant information. 

He pulled Viper more firmly to his chest and used his magic to brutally mangle the restraints off Viper's wrists without harming her. 

Skull sat on the floor Viper pressed close to him covered in drying blood for half an hour before she stirred against him. 

Viper looked at Skull with a fuzzy unfocused look, she gently reached up to cup his jaw. Completely dazed and out of it from blood loss she spoke quietly to him. "So handsome, never felt like this before." 

He looked at Viper a little lost, was this why she hadn't come home? 

Viper blinked slowly coming back to herself and squeaked as she snatched her hand back. 

Skull just looked at her helplessly before remembering their visitor. "So Death was here," He started nonchalant. "Said you're its mistress and I was sent back this far to guard you, and the others would join us eventually." His voice was mostly flat, but there was a mild sharp edge of fear there as well. 

"Well shit." Was all Viper could say in return. There was no cold hard fact that the Hallows were real other than the Prevell brothers having existed. She really didn't want to live forever. 

Tossing that information in a box and ignoring it for now she shifted trying to get up. "I think I would like a bath." Was all she could say before she landed herself right back in Skull's lap. 

Skull shifted out from under her and stood himself before lifting her in a princess carry. "Bath it is, do you think you will need any help?" He asked before his words caught up to him and he stopped his trek to the last bathroom in the hallway and blushed deeply. 

Viper chuckled at him. "Maybe just to get there, yes." 

Skull started walking again, thankful that Viper didn't do more than find his question amusing. He wasn't blind, Viper was very beautiful. Her figure was slim and petite, and the bright jewel color of her hair and eyes contrasted in such a bold way to her pale skin. 

He had found Viper to be attractive even before he knew her gender and who she was. 

Placing her on the edge of the bathtub he leaned around her to start the water and plug the drain. "When you're done give a shout and I will help you to your room." He said lightly before pulling away and leaving her alone. 

Viper shook her head, Skull confused her sometimes, he would say such bold things and either flush like a teen with his first crush or say it like it was nothing at all. 

Slowly she shimmied out of her ruined clothes and left them on the floor as she slid into the hot water and released a sigh. 

After the first scrub to get the blood and gross off her she quickly pulled the stopper and shut off the water so it would drain, then started refilling the tub so she could lounge and relax a little. 

Once Viper started to notice her fingers start to wrinkle from the time she had been submerged in the water she emptied the tub again before trying to get out herself. 

There was a loud crash and a short screech as she hit the floor unable to hold her own weight. 

Skull burst into the room not even thinking that Viper could be naked, and took in the room for threats before he saw Viper laying on her back staring at the ceiling in embarrassment. 

The pale skin he so admired was all in view, he took in the gentle curve of her breasts topped with pale pink nipples that were perked due to the cold of the air coming in from the hall before he yelped and slapped his hands over his eyes. 

"Sorry! I didn't see anything!" He exclaimed, torn between wanting to look more and wanting to not have seen anything like he claimed. 

Viper just summoned a towel to herself before demanding. "Help me to my room, that eye full you caught is going to cost you cooking me meals for a week." 

Skull snickered in helpless resignation to early mornings before he uncovered his eyes and lifted Viper up, and carried her to her room leaving her in peace again. 

It took a few days after the bathroom accident for the two to fall back into their normal interactions. 

Viper letting go of her embarrassment sooner than Skull had, but she understood it was an honest accident and she thought she really had nothing worth hiding. 

It took Skull a little longer, there were times during the day that he would daydream about what it would feel like to have her skin under the pads of his fingers as he explored it slowly. 

Nights for Skull after the accident developed into heated fantasy about what Viper would taste like, and all the things he wanted to explore with her. 

He hadn't been a virgin before the curse, he had many one night lovers through his stunt biking, the adrenalin had always made him drunk and he had looked for satisfaction in the form of willing partners; but then when the Arcobaleno gathered he had felt so wrong searching for company on cold nights, he wondered now if it was because of the pull he felt to Viper. 

_ Skull had just arrived home from a walk, when he saw Viper in the kitchen sitting on the counter as she liked to do sometimes when she had afternoon tea in nothing more than an oversized tee-shirt that fell off one shoulder.  _

_ She looked up and met his eyes, her expression softening at the sight of him. "Welcome back Skull." She whispered not wanting to break the quiet calm in the air.  _

_ Skull didn't let himself second guess his actions as he crossed the kitchen and slotted himself between her thighs. He grabbed her cup and magicked it into the sink before tangling his fingers in the hair at the base of Vipers head, tilting it backwards he claimed her lips in a slow chaste kiss.  _

_ Viper's hand flew up to grasp his shoulders to pull him closer. Little sounds of cut off pleasure escaped her throat.  _

_ The kiss didn't stay chaste for very long as Skull licked at her bottom lip asking to deepen it, with a short gasp Vipers lips opened for him and he got the first taste of honey and strawberry, it pulled a deep moan of his own from him.  _

_ Slowly he mapped out Vipers mouth, making sure that his tongue tangled and massaged hers sensually.  _

_ He pulled away only enough for them to drag in ragged breaths, lips still brushing.  _

_ Taking an even greater chance at being hexed for being too bold he dragged her hips to the edge of the counter where he rocked his jean clad cock against her.  _

_ "Please, Lillith...please." He begged for what he wasn't really sure.  _

_ Viper just dragged her hand down his chest and stomach, and grasped the edge of his shirt and pulled it up urging him to lift his arms to remove it.  _

_ He had to remove his hand from her hair, and step away from her a little to remove the shirt.  _

_ Once his top was off she gathered the end of her own that was bunched at the top of her thighs, and pulled it off revealing that all she had under was a pair of black cotton panties.  _

_ Skull swallowed and his first invited look at her, she had scars that proved her harsh life and only made him more attracted to her, licking his lips he stepped back between her legs.  _

_ He placed his hands on her hips and caressed the skin on her sides, from the top on her panties until his thumbs brushed the bottoms of her breasts repeatedly as he kissed her again hungry for her taste.  _

_ Taking her lack of negative or shy reaction as her wanting this as badly as he did he began with bolder touches.  _

_ His right hand cupped her breast and kneaded it gently before moving to roll her nipple between his fingers, he kept his left on her ribs rubbing the front of them with his thumb.  _

_ Viper pulled away from his lips with a sharp gasp, she tipped her head back almost barring her neck to him in offering which he took it as.  _

_ Kissing along her throat he interrupted them only to suck on her skin or lightly bite into it wanting to leave his mark on her.  _

_ Still rolling and tugging on her nipple with his fingers he dipped his head further to suck on her other nipple and flick his tongue across the hard flesh.  _

_ Letting go of both nipples he brought his hands back to her hips where he tilted and lifted them enough to pull her panties off her.  _

_ The sight of her naked struck him right in the gut with such want that he took no time to tip her almost fully on her back across the breakfast counter that split the living room from the kitchen.  _

_ Not really bothering to wait for permission he kissed and bit his way up the insides of her thighs from her knee to groin.  _

_ His thumbs spread her folds open, they glistened from the natural wetness of her arousal.  _

_ He brought his mouth closer to taste the evidence of her want.  _

There was a sharp alarm of a car going off just outside of his window that startled him out of his dream. 

"Mother Fucker!" He cursed viciously, shifting uncomfortably with how turned on he was, there would be no going back to sleep unless he gave himself some relief. 

Shimmying his sleeping pants down to mid thigh he took his hot hard length in hand and pumped himself slowly, enjoying the slow rise before his orgasm hit him like a train, his sight burst with colorful sparks and all he could hear was his blood rushing through his ears he missed the rather loud moan of "Viper!" And the surprised gasp from the hallway. 

He quickly vanished the evidence, rolled over and fell back asleep mildly satisfied and ready to dream once again. 

Viper stood in the hallway, she had heard Skull moaning in his sleep and had thought to wake him from a nightmare. 

What she had just witnessed from the cracked open boor was not a nightmare, and it had her stomach fluttering around like millions of hummingbirds. 

Swallowing trying to get her mouth to not feel so dry she backed away from his door only stopping when she felt the mattress of her own bed hit the backs on her thighs. She sat heavily on her bed and stared at her fingers, she had never been good at feelings. 

Viper sat there staring into space well into the next morning. 

  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Viper was still staring off into space when Skull knocked on her door. 

"You feeling okay? Viper?" He asked, voice muffled through her closed door. 

When she didn't answer Skull popped his head into her room looking concerned, not that Viper took any notice.  Seeing Viper just sitting on her bed eyes far away Skull walked into the very bare space and dropped next to her. 

Feeling the bed dip she looked up at him, her eyes still far away but registering that he was there. 

"Did you get any sleep?" He questioned her gently. He got a shake of her head in return. 

Sighing deeply he stood and maneuvered her back under her covers like one would a child, he tucked her in. As he turned to leave he felt her hand grab the back of his shirt. 

Looking over his shoulder at her he asked in the same tone. "Did you not want to be alone?" 

She just tugged on his shirt so he sat on the edge of her bed again, deep in thought for a moment.  Skulls eyes lit up as he had an idea. Starting off humming he quietly sang until his voice started cracking from overuse. 

Checking quickly to make sure Viper was asleep before he snuck out of her room and threw up a noise cancelling ward to make sure he didn't wake her, he went about his day as normal. 

It was the next morning that Viper woke again, she felt better; less distressed if not equally confused.  She easily slipped back into her daily routine. Only supplementing her morning coffee with a few shots of espresso. 

She cooked breakfast and left the rest for Skull, leaving a note she was going to be in Switzerland buying a chunks of land in the slums and building apartments for informants, to call if needed, and portaled away.  Viper landed in Interlaken, and took off right into the slums that the Mafia usually ignored. 

She found an abandoned factory just on the outskirts noting the cross streets she walked off to city hall to inquire about purchasing the land and tearing the building down to rebuild. 

It took about three hours for her to pay for the land up front in cash, get all the permits and leave the building in search of a contracting company in the Mafia.  Using her magic to craft an illusion of a blonde man looking remarkably like a Malfoy she walked purposefully into the office, and set the plans for the building on the receptionist's desk. 

"Tell your boss that if this gets done in two weeks payment will be in cash. If not...well someone else will do it and every broker will know your company is slow." Viper turned to leave not giving the overly made-up woman a second look. 

She had just arrived in Zürich to repeat the process when her communication mirror let out the quick chime of 'The sugar plum fairies'. 

Opening the mirror she had to hold back a laugh at Skulls face split in a grin and a smudge of grease across the tip of his nose. "Skull?" Amusement colored her voice. 

"How's Switzerland? Are you bringing home chocolate? Please bring home chocolate!" Skull sounded far too excited about chocolate, and to make matters worse he pulled out the puppy dog eyes, thank god he hadn't figured out how much they affected her just yet. 

"Fine, chocolate. Anything else?" She questioned. 

Skull shook his head and then froze with a deer in headlights look. "What color do you want your bike?" He blurted out a little rushed. 

"Uh, Not red and gold...or any of the Hogwarts house color schemes really." She had never really been picky about color really, she wore a lot of black but that was mostly because it made her hair stand out. 

Skulls smile brightened. "Oki-doke. Hurry home and be careful!" He snapped the mirror closed before she could call him an idiot. 

Sighing Viper set about her mission again. The same steps, find land, buy land, threaten builder, and onto the third and final city for the day; Geneva, and repeat.  She would randomly pick three more cities tomorrow and do the same, before taking a week in each to set up networks and make sure the children and teens were settled. Maybe she would drag Skull along, he was probably better with kids than her. 

When Viper portaled home she burst out laughing, 

"Like a virgin, Woo, Touched for the very first time, Like a ver-er-er-er-gin, your heart beats close to mine!" Skull was dancing in the kitchen to Madonna. 

He spun around at the sound of her laughter looking horrified with his hands cupped over his chest like a woman would hide her naked breasts. The shriek of utter embarrassment that was delayed by his shock just made Viper laugh harder, she was holding her stomach and her legs gave out under her.  It took a good five minutes for Viper to calm herself, it didn't help that Skull would make an indignant sound every few seconds which just made her laugh harder. 

Gods she kinda loved Skull. 

That thought was enough to cut even her left over giggles off. She knew she was emotionally stunted, and it took something big to realize changes when they were directed at people. Shrugging she just accepted that she loved him and carried on.  Skull was a little dumbstruck himself, the sound of Vipers genuine laughter warmed his heart, he knew he was attracted to her but hadn't thought it went past that, but maybe it did he would need to take some time and think it over. 

Viper had picked herself up off the floor and stripped out of her cloak before sitting at the table. 

"Dinner is served!" Skull exclaimed as he dropped a plate of stir fry in front of her. 

Smiling up at him she said "Thank you." With so many emotions he couldn't pick them apart. 

They tucked into dinner in comfortable silence. 

A week later she woke Skull with a tickling jinx and bullied him into a suit, forced him to eat quickly, magiced them to look like a boss and bodyguard before dragging him to the new apartments in Interlaken and then the contractors to pay. 

"Okay here's the deal. Those apartments we just saw are mine, we are going to go into the slums and pick up a couple teens and kids, and take them to the building." Viper started to explain.

"The kids get a flat for agreeing to be informants, if they bring me news they get a set amount depending on if it's real or not and how much I can sell it for." Viper felt very uncomfortable with the look in Skulls eyes. 

"You're better with kids, go find some. Find the ones who look the worst off, they usually need this more than others." She said before pulling off her disguise and going off to find teens and young adults. 

Her blunt manner being something they appreciated more than children.  After taking them to the building and explaining her offer she left them to pick their apartments telling them the current code to each door was one-one-zero-zero to unlock them and that she would be back in two days to change any codes and pick up any information. 

The two did the same thing in Zürich and Geneva over the next two days. 

Viper was very happy with Skulls ability with children and very seriously told him. "You will be joining me from now on, the ones under the age of twelve usually run away, and I have to go back multiple times to get them to trust me. You are saving me time and money, you have no choice. Or I will start charging you for the time I waste tracking them down, one-million US dollars and hour." 

She glared at him daring him to protest. 

He didn't, just asked. "You do that in every city?" 

Sighing deeply Viper directed. "Go change, I'll order some food and I can explain how it works." 

Pushing him a little to get him moving, Viper pulled out her phone and ordered them simple spaghetti meals as she changed into some sweatpants and an oversized tee-shirt.  Viper went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and glasses, before she went to where Skull was already seated in the living room. 

She started to explain after sitting and pouring them a glass. 

"Yes, well every city in France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and the U.K." Viper paused to answer the door for their take out, sitting back down she started again. 

"I go to the worst parts of the cities that Mafia even ignore, buy a plot of land and get apartments built, then I gather the kids that are suffering in that area and offer them the same thing. A roof over their heads for information, for the first three months i visit every other day in person, just to keep things moving smoothly. Usually by the end of the three months most of the kids have phones or computers that they send the information on, and accounts to put the money into. The kids and teens also round up anyone else they see that absolutely need help and they are offered the same. Most of them end up very loyal." Viper paused again to let that sink into Skulls brain and to pour herself more wine. 

"Most others that end up in my network are runaways from bad homes or orphans that have been lost to the system. I also offer to get them identities and into school. So if they ever want a different life it's available to them. I have only been setting this up country to country every few months unlike last time where I started with the capital of each country and spread out from there. I mean if I had something like this to get away from my relatives I would have taken the risk no matter just to no longer be dependent on them." Viper polished off her second glass of wine after admitting that and quickly poured a third. 

"I started the rumor about killing someone who gives me bad information by moving kids around if they get harassed by their families they left or if they get caught spying and make it out alive. But grown ass adults that sell me bad information I do kill, just never my own kids." She snorted. "I always wanted family, I just found it in the kids I helped. That's the basics, I eventually want one in every large city world wide. Sometimes after one building is full I will open another cause even if they grow up and stop giving me information I would never kick them out. They have that apartment until they ask to leave." 

Viper sighed and rolled her shoulders trying to release some of the tension. 

Viper leaned over tipsy from the wine she had all but inhaled, she kissed Skulls cheek and whispered with her lips still brushing against it "Good night Skull." 

Skull just sat quietly digesting the information he was given, and feeling a little lost at the kiss.  He mechanically cleaned up the mess left over from dinner before heading to bed himself. 

The next two mornings there was no need to bully Skull awake or dressed and he eagerly followed her to her destinations and helped with gathering the kids. His eagerness warmed her to the very core. 

This man was someone to admire, always willing to help. She didn't understand how the others had treated him so badly. 

Skull even went on the first three months of visits with her just so he could understand better the difference in the children over such a short amount of time. 

Like every other time she took a week off before starting all over again. 

Skull all but demanded that he accompany her from then on, he wanted to be a part of changing lives for the better

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

With Skull’s help Viper was able to set up apartments for her network much faster, within the next four months they were able to get Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands finished, being they were all small countries she had expected to get them set up faster, but the speed was astounding with Skulls help. 

It was coming up on July thirtieth that Skull put his foot down on working the next day, he claimed it was her birthday and she wasn't allowed to do anything that wasn't relaxing or goofing off.  Viper rolled her eyes at him but gave in easily, she was ahead of schedule anyway, one day wouldn't kill her. 

Viper had slept in the morning of her birthday, she had given up her old tradition of staying up until midnight to wish herself a happy birthday and just moved to indulging herself in all the strawberry confectionary she desired.  Skull had not slept in, he had decided that he would make this a special day for Viper, he may not be sure how to act on what he was feeling for the witch, but he knew that he felt the need to make her happy. So that is what he would do. 

Strawberry pancakes finished, and set on plates on the table along with strawberry milk and syrup he scrambled down to wake Viper. 

Knocking on her door and receiving no answer he opened it and was kind of lost, Viper was sprawled starfish on her bed, hair a blood colored halo across her pillows, and her face far more relaxed than he had ever seen it.  Skulls face brightened with a semi-evil idea. He took a running leap into her bed, being careful not to actually land on her, he straddled her legs and started tickling her as her eyes flew open from the impact of his body weight landing on the bed.

Viper yelped and started twisting her body to get away from Skull and his tickling. “Noooooo! Skull!” 

Skull started trying to imitate a witches evil cackle.

Viper stared up at him trying hard not to laugh at him, it would only encourage him after all. 

When he finally stopped and got off of her he cheerfully announced. "Breakfast is ready!" Then marched out of her room. 

Viper had a helpless smile on her face as she got dressed for the day in black skinny jeans and a dark purple tank top. 

Walking into the kitchen she asked. "So what are we doing today?" She had figured Skull would plan something with how adamant he had been about her not working. 

"We wi-" Vipers squeal at the strawberry heavy breakfast cut him off as she dived at the table and started eating, little sounds of pleasure and contentment being ripped out of her at every bite. 

Skull watched her for a little expression radiating his feelings of amusement and fondness. 

"Sorry, you were saying?" Viper apologized, feeling embarrassed at her reaction. 

“We will be going on a picnic, then to Disneyland. We are going to act like children.” Skull said with absolute certainty. 

Viper blinked at him before shrugging, it could be fun, maybe the roller coasters would be like flying.

After they had cleaned up from breakfast skull grabbed a backpack and led her down into the garage where there were two bikes parked next to one another, one was Skulls usual purple with depictions of an octopus in smokey gray, and the other was a darker purple in some light it almost looked black, but for its detail was the symbol of the Hallows in a bold black. 

Viper loved her new bike, color and all. With a shout of joy she ran to her bike to inspect it with a wide smile. She looked back at Skull beaming so brightly she unconsciously used her Mist to make it look like purple roses were blooming around her with sparkles raining down. 

“Glad you like it Vi, now let's go for a test drive.” he pulled the seat up to show an expanded compartment where she would be able to store her helmet and a large suitcase. He grabbed his own helmet from the same place on his bike and tossed the backpack inside. 

The two raced each other down empty roads when they got the chance, Viper laughing gleefully every time she hit the accelerator to make the bike go faster.  Skull had bought them helmets that had headsets built into them, so once they had gotten close to where he had chosen for the picnic he spoke up. “Vi, we are almost there, follow me.”  He could almost imagine her pout at no longer being able to speed. He had chosen a little park area off the beaten path that was usually not visited. 

It was beautiful, wild flowers bloomed in the clearing that was ringed with trees giving the illusion of privacy. 

The picnic was a simple fair of sandwiches and fresh strawberries, it made Viper ridiculously happy. 

The trip to Disneyland was even better, they went on every ride they could with a gentle brush of Mist flames they didn't even have to wait in the long lines. 

It was once they got home that the high of the day crashed for Viper, there was a small cluster of snakes waiting for her in the apartment, all of them had a plea from Snape for help, he had run afoul with some new dark lord who was just starting off in Ireland. 

“Mother fucking cock sucking idiot!” she screamed at the ceiling, shaking slightly in her rage. 

Skull was blinking at her outburst unsure as to the reason. “Uhhh Vi?” he questioned her.

Spinning on her heel she took a moment to size him up, his hair and eyes had finally bled into the purple she had remembered it being from before. “Will you come help me rescue an idiot wizard in Ireland?” her question wasn't really a question more of a demand.  Skull gave a sharp nod and they split into their respective rooms to get dressed for a fight. 

Viper portaled them to Dublin, where she was met with a Dragonfly giving her Snape’s position, with another quick portal they landed in a cell in the basement of some sort of castle.  Snape was chained to the wall, light bruising along the side of his face. He jerked a little at the sudden appearance.

“Pot-” he started coughing.

“Oh shut up Snape, you're the idiot who didn't run further.” she turned away from him pointedly instructing over her shoulder. “Skull is going to get you free, follow his direction, if you don't I will leave you here.”

Viper blew the cell doors open, making sure to make a lot of noise, she wanted to be heard, she had a lot of aggression to work off for her perfect lovely day being ruined.  Stomping up the stairs she blew that door off its hinges too, ducking and rolling as she fired off curse after curse killing all who stood in her way. 

The problem she found with most dark lords and their followers was that they never moved, they just stood in one place believing that they could deflect all curses, it made them easy targets, especially when she wasn't facing them, but cursing them from behind her, or mid spin.  She fought her way through the manor, never stopping to look at any of the bodies she left behind, always moving forward. 

Skull had half carried half supported the man that Viper had called Snape up the stairs, it was slow going and they only got to see the path of death that Viper left behind her, up until they reached some sort of meeting room.  Viper was practically dancing in the middle of the room, curses being ducked and side stepped as she returned fire, it was awe inspiring watching her permanently remove people from the gene pool. 

As the last curse was fired killing the new dark lord Viper huffed and kicked the closest corpse. “Fuckers, you ruined my birthday, and I was having such a lovely date with Skull!” 

Not noticing her alive audience Viper yanked off a necklace and enlarged a trunk, she then proceeded to summon Books, money, jewelry, weapons, and wands.  Skull gave a snort of her acquiring the spoils of her fight, and she spun to face them wand out and curse on her lips, only to stop and lock eyes with Skull. 

“God Damn it Skull!” she reprimanded him, “Don't sneak up on me like that!”

This time it was Snape who snorted, he coughed lightly. “Thank you for the rescue Potter, I will be fine now on my own.”

Viper gave him a glare that would have burnt him alive if it had been able. “You,” she hissed and stalked towards him before shoving a finger into his chest harshly. 

“You ruined my birthday too, don’t think you're off the hook! When I said get away I meant like away away, move to Russia or Japan away! Not moving from the Highlands to Ireland! Why are you so stupid? Most of western Europe knows who you are! If you won’t get yourself away like an intelligent person I will relocate you, like I should have done before apparently! Stupid wizards thinking they know best! You were relieved of all your common sense just like the rest of them! For Fucks sakes Snape, You always called me stupid, I think its you who is stupid, I hid myself in France, and by hid I mean only Skull knows my real name, and speaking of my real name don't use it you idiot! My name is Viper! Vi-per! Fuck you, Fuck them, Fuck I hate people!” She ranted at him, not stopping even as Snape opened his mouth to interject. 

Noticing that no more items were being called she waved her hand at the trunk, it shrank and flew to her clasping around her neck again. 

“Lets go, you got the idiot Skull?” her voice was still harsh but she hoped Skull knew she wasn't mad at him. 

Viper opened a portal into their apartment in Paris and grabbed Skull’s hand to lead him, sometimes her portals decided to act up and spit people who were not in contact with her out in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. 

Once home Skull dropped Snape on the couch before rushing at her and checking her over for damage, there was only a small cut across the bridge of her nose, likely from catching the edge of a cutting curse. 

“Skull, Skull I’m okay!” she protested through the whole thing, even as she melted a little at his Cloud Flames running over her skin to get the cut to close quickly. 

Once the cut resembled a scar that was years old they both turned to face Snape, he opened his mouth but was cut off by Viper raising her hand to make him stay quiet. 

"Heal yourself, then I will take you to the bank here where you will sort everything out and transfer everything to the bank in Switzerland. From there I will take you to an apartment building I own. You will stay there until you are ready to move to a new country, you will make scar cream and other potions for me as rent. You will not terrorize the children living there. You will tell me when you feel ready to move and I will help you set up a new life in return for continuing to make me potions. It is either this or you strike out on your own." She laid everything out for him, it was either this or she would kick him to the curb and never help again. 

Snape's eyes were wide, apparently he expected her to be the unthinking Gryffindor still. 

Viper stayed quiet waiting for his answer. 

"Fine." Snape bit out, not happy with needing help but unwilling to turn it down. 

After Snape had taken some healing potions she did exactly what she said she would, even going so far as to let him choose what city he would take up residence in.  The look on his face when he realized that the building he would be living in was filled with people under age was a memory she would enjoy for a few years. 

Viper left him to get settled, telling him that she would be back in a week for the scar removal cream.  Once back home she flopped on the couch dropping her feet into Skull's lap.  They sat there quietly, flames and magic dancing together as they relaxed their tight grip. 

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh...sorry it took so long, I've got a minor case of missing inspiration.
> 
> Thank you everyone for the Kudos and Comments! (They help in motivating me to get my fingers to the keyboard)
> 
> Here is chapter six! 
> 
> Please enjoy!!!!

Viper was happy when nothing went wrong in the six months it took for her and Skull to set up two buildings in every city in Italy, it had the largest population of Mafia than almost any other country. So it had taken them twice as long, just as it would in other countries that housed a large amount of Mafia.

After they had rescued Snape Skull had started to touch her more, holding her hand, resting his arms across her shoulders, wrapping an arm around her back and holding her against him by her hip. Viper wouldn't admit that she had come to crave his touch to the point she hardly noticed when she would press back against his chest when he stood behind her. 

Skull knew he was playing a dangerous game, but he couldn't help it, Viper just had something that pulled him to her, made him want to twist himself so deeply in her very being that they would never separate. 

It was just two days after New Years that one of the Dragonflies she had sent to find Reborn returned with news that he was searching for the other Arcobaleno in Rome. 

She didn't even give a second thought to hunting down Skull and asking him what he thought of contacting Reborn, or Renato Sinclair as he was known as currently. 

"I…" Skull scratched the back of his neck. "I guess we could, just as long as he doesn't live with us. I like having you all to myself." Skull admitted a little wry at the thought of Reborn anywhere near their budding relationship.

Viper nodded. "I planned on giving him the codes and addresses to access the second set of safe houses I have set up. We don't use them." She shrugged, the only reason she hadn't done the same to Skull was cause she had trusted him not to sell her out. 

Skull pulled Viper into a hug, burying his nose in her hair to breathe in the kiwi scent of her shampoo. The "Thank you Vi." was muffled in her curls. 

Sending the Dragonfly off to keep watch over Reborn she gave a call to one of the younger children she had in Rome, telling them who to look for and the message that was to be given to him however the child felt safest. 

The message was basic just saying that 'The Mist and Cloud had settled in Paris, and to meet them at the Arc de Triomphe at noon.' 

She gave no date, but posted a lookout to call when he arrived. 

It took Reborn two weeks to arrive at the given meeting place, which surprised Viper, Reborn wasn't one to waste any time. 

She portaled into a discreet alley before cloaking herself and Skull in a flame illusion of female blonde twins. Mostly she wanted to see the Sun's reaction to the two of them. 

"Hello." She purred, and grabbed Reborn's bicep. 

Reborn jerked, "Hello Belle." He said calmly face blank. 

Skull slinked up behind her and draped his female body over her back and batted his eyes at him. 

"What is such a man doing alone on a Sunny day?" She questioned him putting extra emphasis on 'sunny'. 

Reborn blinked at her slowly. "Waiting for a snake and a lackey." He announced.

Skull reached around Viper to grab Reborn's forearm. "Then you should come with us, we have a snake and a fake lackey." His voice was Mist disguised to be a husky alto. 

Between the two of them they made it look like two women dragging a man into an illicit activity in the alley way. When in reality Viper just dragged them both through a portal and into the actual house she kept in Paris. 

She dropped the illusions masking who they were quickly. Not wanting to even chance having a gun thrust in her face. 

Hood up concealing her face Viper turned to Reborn and asked. "You have your Snake and Fake lackey now, what information would you like Renato Sinclair?" 

"Fake lackey?" He questioned her. 

Viper tilted her head at Skull in question, when he nodded at her Viper decided to give Reborn what he wanted but at a cost. 

"That information will cost you an apology to the one it's about." With a huff he nodded at her. 

"Skull DeMort, previously known as Stephan Krum, holder of several university diplomas, creator of the Firebolt brooms, and many other achievements." As she spoke Reborn's eyes widened.

He turned to Skull who just stood off to the side looking largely unimpressed with his basic achievements being aired. Dipping his head a little Reborn pulled the brim of his fedora down to shadow his eyes. 

"I apologize for my assumptions." 

Skull snorted and waved his hand in dismissal. "It's fine, all water under the bridge." 

Viper just shook her head at the two men. 

"Well now that you have your information what other business can I help you with?" She felt almost gleeful at Reborn's shock. 

Crossing his arms Reborn got ready to haggle with Viper for a more realistic price for what he wanted to know. "Why am I twenty-two again? How do you know my birth name? Last but not least who are you?" 

Viper tilted her head to convey her amusement. "First question will cost you accepting my help and helping me in return with little things, the second question will cost you spending one dinner a week with us, the third question will cost an unbreakable vow to never share my identity with anyone through word or action." 

Reborn's arms were still crossed and his face blank, but his body telegraphed his shock for all to see. "Agreed." Was his answer. 

"Death had sent me back three and a half years ago, Skull a year and a half ago, he will not say why, just that you and the other are here to guard me." Viper sighed. "I know your birth name because I did my research once I knew you were a hedge wizard, really I just took some blood and went to the goblins, not that hard for a magical person to do." 

Viper took a deep breath before demanding the vow, Reborn gave it a little too eagerly for her liking. 

Viper pulled her hood off. "I was known once as The-Girl-Who-Lived." She refused to say her real name. "But I do prefer Viper please." 

When Reborn fainted neither herself or Skull could hold in their laughter. They leaned against one another helpless to do much else.

Skull decided to be nice and levitated the Sun onto the couch. Viper started writing down addresses and pass codes for the locks at all her safe homes she was giving him access to, after she had taken Skull back to their flat. 

Half hour later Reborn woke and started laughing, he should have known with the trouble they always got into who they were. 

Viper watched Reborn laugh, and assumed he had lost his mind. 

“Okay Reborn, the list for the safe houses is on the kitchen table, all of them are fully stocked so all you really need to take with you from place to place is your clothes and weapons. The list also has mine and Skull’s cell numbers.” Viper told him, waving her hand in the general direction of the kitchen.

Reborn nodded his head at her as he sat up on the couch. “And when will the first of our weekly dinners be?” he asked.

“Unclear, give one of us a call tomorrow and we will set it up. I may have a job for you by then as well.” Viper said. “Any questions?” 

Reborn just shook his head. Viper nodded in return and portaled back to her flat with Skull. 

The next day when Reborn finally called when Viper was in the middle of acquiring plots of land in Berlin, her third city of the day after Hamburg and Munich, she toyed with the idea of ignoring the call, but ultimately answered it. 

“Time is money.” she greeted him.

“Yes, you said to call for dinner plans.” he pointed out.

“Ah yes, are you free tonight? We can portal to this lovely restaurant in Venice. I am currently craving some decent Italian.” Viper asked and suggested. 

“Venice tonight will work.” Reborn sounded like he was making some sort of huge concession. 

Rolling her eyes even if he couldn't see it she then informed him. “Be ready in three hours, we will pick you up.” Then she hung up on him and went back to arguing with the realtor about the price of the land she was buying along with the permits. 

Exactly three hours after Viper had hung up on Reborn, she and Skull arrived in the living room of the house hand in hand. 

Viper tapped her foot impatiently as the stubborn man took his time to get up and walk over to them, with a huff she grabbed his arm and dragged him after her through a portal that let them out beside the restaurant. 

“Why must you grab hold of me when we travel that way?” Reborn asked her. 

Giving him a cheeky smile she asked. “You gonna pay for dinner for the answer?” 

“Fiiiiine.” Reborn whined. Viper started laughing softly, even though he really wasn't young again Reborn apparently decided to let up a little on pretending to be an asshole. 

“Sometimes my portals like to drop people off in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, it's better to have a hold on me or someone already holding me.” She admitted it had made for a great way of getting rid of stalkers in the past. 

Reborn choked on air at the revelation. 

The three were seated at a booth in the back corner and the first fifteen minutes were filled with awkward stilted conversation before Skull had had enough. 

He turned to Viper and asked. “How much does a polar bear weigh?” 

A little bewildered Viper replied. “A couple hundred pounds?” 

Skull’s smile turned a little wicked. “Enough to break the ice.” 

Reborn snorted, amused but Viper picked up what was going on, she asked Reborn. “What's the best looking Fruit?” Reborn shook his head. “A cute-cumber.” Skull tried hard to cover up his laughter, and Viper was on a roll. 

“Why couldn't the bicycle stand up on its own? It was two tired. What time did the man go to the Dentist? Tooth Hurt-y. What do you call a pampered cow? Spoiled Milk. What did the fish say when it hit a wall? Dam.” 

With just the four ‘jokes’ Skull was holding his sides and trying to keep control of his laughter and Reborn had covered his face but his shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. 

Viper considered it a job well done, and after her little comedy act things went much smoother, Reborn relaxed and started to feel comfortable with them. 

By the end of the night they felt like that had made friends with each other, and had learnt new things about one another. 

When Viper dropped Reborn off at the safe house she told him that in a week he would be accompanying herself and Skull on a trip to Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich as part of his payment for asking why he was twenty-two again. 

She had made on dragging him on the young human finding mission, and afterwards to dinner where she was forced to explain the whole thing to him, and from then on he went with her, he offered on site healing to some of the children that needed it, even when Viper had told him she had a potions master in her debt that was making healing and nutrient potions for all her buildings. 

  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short. 
> 
> But I had a lot of problems with this chapter, and well I hope its acceptable.

It took the three of them six months to set up Vipers network in Germany, and during this time Skull managed to wear Reborn down to fall into a sibling relationship.  They squabbled worse than any brothers she had ever met, but it all came from a place of mutual respect. 

The random knowing looks that Reborn kept sending Skull and herself whenever Skull would drag her against him was driving her crazy.  It got to a breaking point one day at a weekly dinner in Nice when Skull pulled her into his side and draped his arm over her shoulders. 

"What?" Viper snapped, frustrated with the looks. 

"Why didn't you tell me you two were dating? How long have you been together?" Reborn asked rather bluntly. 

Viper froze in place, eyes wide. "What?" She whispered. 

"I don't think Vi would date me." Skull laughed in self depreciation. 

Viper twisted her head to face Skull. "What?" She repeated at the same volume. 

Reborn snorted. "She doesn't let me touch her casually, you live with her, I don't even know where you live." He pointed out. 

"What?" Viper asked again like a broken record. Both Reborn and Skull ignored her seaming to forget she was there. 

"Have you ever asked Viper how she feels?" Reborn asked in his usual blut way. 

Skull shook his head. "I don't want to mess up our friendship, and telling Vi I'm in love with her would ruin that." 

Reborn snorted. "She obviously loves you too idiot." He waved his hand at her where she was pressed in Skull's side. 

Reacting without thinking Viper fell back into a portal and landed on the bed in her house in Greece.  She knew the two would get to a house in Nice or get back home to Paris safely so she didn't worry herself as she put a recorded message on her communication mirror and cell phone before turning them off and shoving them in a drawer. 

After that disastrous dinner Skull called Viper every hour for a week. 

"It's Viper, if you are Skull or Reborn I will be back in a week. If you are anyone else, email me." 

Was her voicemail recording, but Skull was panicked that she wouldn't actually come back. She always kept her word, but his Cloud was raging at her being gone. 

When Viper did return looking like her normal self Skull rushed up to her and pulled her into a hug, then into his lap as his legs gave out in his relief. 

"Don't ever do that to me again." He begged her. "Please. Yes I love you, but nothing needs to come from it." 

Skull felt tears building so he buried his face in her neck. "Please just don't leave me." He begged again.

Viper was startled at the amount of emotion in Skull's voice, and even more so as she felt water splashing where her neck met her shoulder.  With a sigh she pet Skulls hair weaving her fingers in the purple strands. She wasn't willing to talk about this until Skull had stopped crying, so she sat on the floor with him.  When Skull had calmed down and tried to pull his face out of where he had hidden it, Viper pressed him back into place. 

Holding him there she started talking. "It's not that I don't feel something for you, I just don't understand what it is. I have never been in a relationship, I haven't ever had a lover. I am so emotionally stunted that I don't handle them well." 

Taking a deep breath Viper layed out what she had done in the past week. "I was trying to sort myself out, and it hasn't worked very well. You are the first person I have been attracted to, I feel safe with you and I trust you.".

"I don't know if it's love." She admitted softly and released her grip on his head so he could move freely. 

It took a few moments for Skull to move. When he did all he did was pull her closer and brush his lips against hers. 

"I would like to try being a couple, nothing really has to change." He said softly. "Well maybe just some kisses here and there." His voice was a little clogged from crying but the humor rang nonetheless. 

Skull got up with her still in his arms and carried her over to the couch where he then laid down and positioned her on his chest.  Viper tensed at the new position, but relaxed when Skull did nothing more than rub his hand up and down her spine. 

The last thing Viper remembered before she fell asleep was Skull whispering in her ear. "I have always loved you Vi." 

When Viper woke she was still laying on Skull who was now asleep, her ear was over his heart that thumped a strong steady beat. She stayed there until her phone started ringing with the tune she had programmed for Reborn. 

Viper carefully got up and answered the phone. "Reborn, what can I do for you?" 

"Oh thank the gods!" He exclaimed loudly. "Fuck Viper, please never do that again. Skull almost slipped into a Cloud rage, thank god the bond we have to you as our Sky let us know you were safe! I was this close to trying to summon Death to demand you were brought back!" Reborn rambled. 

"Wait...Sky bond? What are you talking about Reborn?" She demanded. 

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You are a Misty Sky you idiot! I don't know why you weren't before but you are now! Skull and I are your guardians!" Reborn raged over the phone. 

Viper made a portal under Reborn that dropped him directly on the lounge chair across from her. 

"My Sky probably ripped itself apart when Voldemort killed me last time!" She snapped at him.

Reborn's mouth shut with a snap and his eyes closed in grief. "Yes, that would do it." He agreed.

A wicked smile crossed his face. "So you with Skull now?" he questioned. 

Viper raised an eyebrow. "What are you willing to pay for that answer?" She shot back. 

Reborn threw his head back and laughed. 

"Shut up Reborn." Skull mumbled from his prone position as he reached out and pulled Viper back on top of himself. 

With a squeak Viper fell back against him, making Reborn start laughing again. 

As Skull had said nothing really changed with the two of them other than the sweet kisses he started giving her whenever he felt like.  Not that Viper minded really. 

It was the revelation of her being a Sky that took longer for her to accept. 

Thankfully the two men didn't treat her any differently, If they had she would have hexed them. 

The only really big change was Skull and herself moving into the house with Reborn instead of staying in the flat. Viper had said they were Sky and guardians, she wanted them together. 

They settled quickly and just in time for word to reach Viper about Fon searching for them. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo  
> Fon....
> 
> Here we go...cause I got nothing else to say.

Viper jerked back with a little gasp as one of her Dragonflies Mist portaled out of nowhere.  She gave a half sigh of resignation at the fact she had accidentally given them enough of her Mist Flames to develop that talent, but she was pleased. 

The message the little creature had for her left her less pleased, Fon was back and asking other information brokers about how to contact her.  With a roll of her eyes she grabbed one of her cloaks and set off to find Skull and Reborn to drag along with her to China. 

They landed in Beijing where the Dragonfly had told her Fon was currently hiding from the Triads.  Following the bug Viper took a split second to thank the gods that Skull and Reborn had very distinctive looks, and Fon would likely recognize them before he did her.  When they arrived at a run down tea house none of them really expected Fon to look as young as he did. 

Skull was the first to break out of his shock. He skipped over to the table Fon was at and dropped himself unceremoniously into a seat himself.  Fon looked up from his tea cup with wide eyes causing Skull to burst into laughter at the teen in front of him, face round with baby fat and very much shorter than he was as an adult. 

"Skull...why-" Fon started to ask before he caught sight of Reborn and Viper still standing in the doorway.

Fon heaved a large sigh and dropped money on the table to pay for his tea.  Once the two were within her reach Viper snatched up their hands and dragged them through a portal trusting Reborn to follow with the Mist ribbon they had brainstormed to fix the physical contact needed for her portals, turns out you just need contact with her Mist Flames. 

Stepping into the living room Viper pulled back her hood and asked. "Do you need any medical attention?" 

"No." Fon said, he looked at her and paused before yelping and jumping backwards. "Holy fuck you're a woman!"

Viper gave him the deadpan stare that deserved. She turned and asked Skull. "Would you get him settled in a room? I have a file to put together for a client." 

She brushed a kiss across his jaw and left the room.  Skull just waited for Fon to process what was going on and ask his questions. 

"What. The. Fuck." Fon forced past his lips, Reborn started cackling behind him. 

Rolling his eyes at Reborn Skull tried to explain. "Uhhh….Vi has been back for about four years, I've been back for about three, Reborn only a year or so I think. We all started our searches looking for Vi. So yeah...uhhh. We live here together. But like only Vi and I are together together. Reborn is just her Sun guardian." Skull was having a hard time with Reborn wheezing behind Fon. 

Fon rubbed his temples and asked tiredly. "Can you take me to my room please?" 

The next morning when Viper woke she sighed realizing that they would need a larger house soon if Verde would be next to come back, he was the next one if they were coming back by age. Or she and Skull could just start sharing a room and save getting bigger houses for another decade, that would work for her, not like she really slept much anyway.  Breakfast for four made, Viper sat down to enjoy hers as she checked her email, she had a request for information on the Estrano and the Simmon, and a small package that was talking about an unaffiliated baby Sky with black hair and red eyes in Verona. 

Rolling her eyes she tagged it as useful and sent off a bonus to the kid who had sent it to her along with a message to tail the Sky, or offer them a room until she got there, the kid sounded vaguely like Xanxus, she wanted to ask the others how they felt about picking the kid up and saving him from Vongola Nono’s idiocy.

Skull was the first to join her at the kitchen table, a quick kiss pressed into her hair. Viper hummed at him. 

“We need to talk,” She paused at the look of absolute panic Skull shot her. “I think one of my kids has found Xanxus, and we either need a bigger house or you could just move into my room, and we can look into a bigger house later when Verde arrives, I would like all your input before I start the search.” Skull relaxed as she spoke and it confused her a little.

Not liking the confusion she asked. “Why did you look so worried?” 

It was Reborn who answered from the doorway. “Most people start the breakup speech with ‘we need to talk’ maybe next time start with ‘all of us need to talk’.” Reborns voice was wavering in a way that told Viper he was seconds away from laughing.

Rolling her eyes, Viper nodded at him and squeezed Skulls leg under the table in mild comfort.  With the two eating she continued to sip at her tea and waited for either of them to say something or for Fon to show up to have a ‘Family meeting’. 

Fon stumbled into the room, tripping over his own feet and nearly walking right into a wall before he slumped gracelessly into an empty chair at the table.  Viper watched in amusement, seeing Fon with no coordination was going to be great. 

"So…" Viper was trying really hard not to laugh as Fon missed his tea cup. "Xanxus is maybe a baby Sky running around Verona, do we take him before the Vongola and get him trained up to take over Varia?" She turned away from the train wreck that was Fon to ask. 

"Yes." Was Skull's immediate reaction, he had hated how Nono had lied to him and then froze him for almost a decade. 

"Do you think we can do a better job?" Reborn asked, he was torn between old loyalty to the Vongola Nono and the desire to see a kid with a past like his happy. 

Fon blinked, "Why are you asking me?" He asked confused, he had only joined them last night and had no real connection to them other than being Arcobaleno. 

Viper pinned him in place with a dark look. "I'm asking because you are here, you will be staying with us. You are the Storm that stirs the Mist. You are the Storm that starts from the Clouds. You are the Storm that clears the Sky. You are the Storm that gives the Sun a break. You belong with us." She hissed, wanting him to understand that he belonged and would have a place with them always. 

"I know you were forced to join the Triads next year, and that you hated being their attack dog, here all I ask is that you help me and the others as we will help you." She informed him.

"So what are your thoughts on the baby Sky?" She demanded again. 

Wide eyed and a little stunned Fon was able to choke out. "No-one deserves the shit he was put through." 

Viper nodded, pleased with Fon giving his opinion, and turned back to Reborn. 

"I don't know if we can do better, that's why I'm asking you three for input. I would like to adopt him, if only so he is not lied to." She answered Reborn's question honestly. 

"Why don't we find out first if it really is him? We can ask him what he wants, and if he wants Vongola we can always tell him the truth." Reborn offered, still warring with himself. 

"Yes." Viper agreed, giving the child a choice was always her plan. 

As the other ate Viper sent off the cost of the packets requised on the Estrano and the Simmon Famiglia’s. Once she had the money she would send the information. 

She left the others to clean up the kitchen and went to take a shower and get dressed for their hopefully short trip to Verona. 

Meeting the others in the living room Viper produced another Mist ribbon for Fon, “My portals will sometimes spit you out in the middle of the Bermuda triangle if you aren't in contact with my Mist Flame, this should prevent it.” she told him as she handed it over. 

She opened a portal to the apartments in Verona, grabbed Skulls hand and led them through to the entryway of the building. 

The baby Sky was definitely Xanxus, he was sitting on a chair surrounded by other children glaring at them petulantly and nibbling on a sandwich.  When the kids saw Skull they all surged up and rushed him like a wave of tiny humans, Viper let go of him quickly and stepped to the side to watch him go down under the weight of ten kids under the age of twelve. 

She approached Xanxus slowly, pulling her hood down to show him her face in an attempt to sooth him a little. 

“Hello baby Sky.” she said in greeting. 

The child stiffened watching her cautiously as she approached. Holding her hands out showed him they were empty, and as a sign of surrender.

“I was told about you, Eli said you have been seen alone, sometimes hiding from a woman trying to hurt you.” She decided the best thing would be honesty. “My friends and I run these apartment buildings for children in bad situations.” she waved her hands in the direction of the three who came with her. 

“You little Sky would not be safe here, I have a few ways I can help you. Would you like to hear them?” Viper said, trying her best to be kind and soothing as she spoke. She really wished Skull or Reborn were doing this, she sucked with kids. 

Xanxus looked at her, eyes sparking with a calculating look, and he nodded slowly. 

“I can try to find your mother or father, I can place you in the right place to be found by a Famiglia, or you can come with us, I will adopt you and we can train you up to be strong enough to stand on your own but you will always have us behind you, you will become our family our child or little brother.” She told him, voice even and bleeding as much truth she could make it. 

Looking from her to the others again, a small spark of hope in his eyes he held his hand out cautiously to Viper, body language all but screaming she would regret every moment of his life with them if she was lying. 

For a four year old this kid had been hurt so much, Viper felt for him deeply. 

Viper didn't bother with holding his hand, she just scooped him up in her arms, ignoring his tensing. 

“Let's go home yes? After we get you all cleaned up we can go to my special bank and make you my son, how does that sound?” she asked the tiny child, getting a nod in return she walked back over to the others. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Xanxus anyone? 
> 
> I dunno why but Xanxus, Skull and Reborn are my favorite characters. 
> 
> Like I mean I have a mild Anime crush on them, Xanxus the most out of the three but I couldn't help myself...a soft squishy Xanxus just makes me warm and fuzzy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So reading all the comments everyone has left kinda kicked me into gear and I worked REALLY hard on this double post.... 
> 
> Soooooo
> 
> Here we go

Baby Xanxus was awfully cute, Viper was secretly melting inside. He was also a complete terror.

After the first week of having him with the Skull had a very large bruise on his jaw and scratches that littered his arms, Reborn had bite marks all over his hands and arms, and Fon had a black eye and a bruise on his ribs. 

Viper was the only one who had not been harmed, and she offered the others no healing until she was told why they had been injured by the tiny dragon, she just wanted a little extra black mail. 

The first day they had taken him in Viper had taken him to have a bath, in which they had a great watter battle that left Xanxus laughing with true childish glee.

It was when Viper had pulled off her tee-shirt and was left in a sports bra that Xanxus stopped and calmed. 

Viper wasn't sure but she suspected that the scars he saw showed him that she was a survivor, and would make him one too. 

None of them ever yelled at or hit Xanxus, they were firm and time outs were plenty, but they had all had some degree of rough childhood that they would never raise a violent hand to a child. 

Viper got a good long laugh as Xanxus tested the men in her life, he wanted to see how far he could push them before they hurt him. She knew deep in her bones that they never would. 

By the time Xanxus had been with them for a month he had mostly calmed, he was given freedom of choice on almost everything, the only exceptions being his diet, bed time, safety, and education. That freedom to choose was what started to earn his trust. 

Six months after having adopted Xanxus Viper burst into tears when he called her 'mum'. 

She cuddled him close, tears running down her face and a smile that hurt her cheeks. Whispering into his ear. "I love you Xanxus, Thank you for being alive. Thank you for picking me." 

Xanxus patted her cheek in childish comfort saying. "Don't cry Mum, it's okay."

Viper just held him closer. 

Skull had been watching them from around a corner, he was so happy that Viper had opened her heart not only to him but to the feisty hell-cat she had adopted. 

He wondered when they would be able to progress their relationship, sleeping next to her and keeping his hands to himself was getting harder. 

Seeing her happy like this made his heart sing, and he would kill anyone who tried to take this from her. 

Later that night when everyone else was asleep Viper was the one who initiated intimacy between the two of them. 

Skull had just settled on the bed, laying on his back with his hands folded on his stomach when Viper crawled onto the bed. 

She was wearing a pair of sleep shorts and one of Skulls shirts, she looked like a goddess. He must have made some sort of noise because Viper stilled and looked at him. 

Then she straddled his hips, her weight pressing down on his pelvis. 

She leaned forward and braced her hands on his chest before moulding her lips to his, this kiss felt different than the others they had shared, there was a hungry feeling to it. 

Skull's hands flew to her hips, to keep her steady and to either restrain her from rocking them or encourage it, he couldn't tell. 

Viper was running on instinct, she knew she wanted Skull, knew that the physical part of the relationship had been very slow going, but she felt like she needed him tonight. 

Their kiss was slow but it made Vipers core heat, she could feel herself getting wet and her nipples pebble. 

Pulling away from Skulls lips she licked and kissed her way down the side of his neck to where it met his shoulders and bit down into the skin and muscle. 

A deep groan bubbled up for Skulls chest and rumbled through her body.

Viper sat up from leaning over Skull and looked at him a little shyly as she grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands up her waist, lifting her shirt. 

Skull got the message pretty quickly and tugged the material off of her leaving her in just her sleep shorts. 

Vipers breath caught when Skull flipped their positions, having him hover over her with his much taller and wider build made something in her clench. 

She watched as Skull grabbed the collar on the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head, leaving his torso bare. 

Her eyes roamed around the new to her skin on display then snapped up to meet Skull's. There was lust in his eyes and something softer she was learning was love. 

"Vi?" He questioned her softly.

She lifted her hand and buried them in his mess of purple hair and dragged him more firmly on top of her and into another heated kiss. 

His left arm was being used to keep his full weight off of her, and his right hand started to caress her sides, getting her used to the touch. 

Viper pulled away from the kiss gasping when Skulls hand cupped her breast and gave a light squeeze, before it flicked her peaked nipple. The sensation sent a bolt of pleasure down her spine.

Viper tugged at Skull's hair in encouragement, for what she didn't know. She got a soft moan in response. 

He started kissing down the line of her neck and shifting his body down the bed, his stomach now resting against her pelvis. 

"Gods Vi. I want you." Skulls voice was husky and strained to her ears as he nipped at her breast, getting little whimpers as Viper shivered under him. 

Skull spent a little time exploring her chest before he continued to move down her body kissing and biting as he went. 

Viper had long since pulled her hands from his hair to grasp at the sheets and pillows, trying to ground herself from the new pleasures she was experiencing.

Once his face was level with her sex, Skull looked up at her, eyes heavy lidded and cheeks flushed a light pink. 

"Can I?" He asked, grasping the waistband of her sleep shorts. 

Viper nodded without hesitation, she trusted him to stop if she asked. 

She lifted her hips as he slid the cotton over her ass and down completely off her. 

She blushed a deep red as he stared at her, she had never been fully naked with another person, unless you count the bathroom incident when they were first living together. 

Skull kissed the inside of her right thigh before he used his thumbs to spread apart her pussy lips. 

The first contact of his tongue had her gasping and arching her back. 

Skull moaned at the tangy flavor of Vipers excitement, and dove right in. 

He took his time lapping and sucking at her outer lips before he dug his tongue in deeper and rapidly flicked it over her clit. 

Viper was lost, moaning and gasping almost constantly, the only other sounds in the room was Skulls growling and sucking sounds as he alternated between working his tongue over her and sucking on her clit or sex. 

She felt something in her stomach tighten, coiling tighter and tighter the longer Skull mouthed at her. 

"Skull, Skull. Please!" It was half warning, half plea. 

With one last hard suck to her clit Viper gave a broken moan, and arched her back away from the mattress as the coil snapped. Her legs were shaking and she couldn't pull enough air into her lungs. 

Skull pulled away from her, wiping his face with the back of his hand he watched Viper in the last throes of her orgasm. 

"Beautiful." He whispered to himself as he crawled back up her body slotting his hips between hers again. 

Viper gasped at the feeling of his hard cock pressing against her sensitive core, giving a short moan. 

Kissing the side of her mouth, Skull rocked against her, seaking his own completion. He wasn't ready to have sex with her, and next time he would let her explore his body before he enjoyed her again. 

It only took about a dozen rocking thrusts before Skull felt his release hit him. Hiding his face in Vipers neck he groaned as his cock twitched against her and he felt cum seeping into the fabric of his sleep pants. 

Viper was dazed and boneless as he rolled off of her, waved a cleaning charm at them and pulled her back against his chest and curled around her.

"Love you Skull." Viper said half dazed, half asleep as she settled against him and dropped into sleep. 

  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Xanxus knew that the red haired lady that adopted him was just like him, she had scars that littered her body just like he had scars. 

It didn't take him long to figure out that she must have been like him, his real mom was not right in the head, some days she had been nice and had given him hugs and food, but most days she would hit him or try to draw blood. 

He knew that the red haired lady, Viper, was strong in mind and body, and she said she would make him strong too. She was also warm and it made him trust her, something in him told him that she would be the person that he could go to no matter what and he always trusted that thing. 

It was the men he didn't trust. 

The one with the purple hair seemed okay if only because Viper would accept him touching her, but Xanxus wanted to test this man and see how far he could actually push him to see if he was worthy of the woman he was already calling 'mum' in his mind. 

The man who always wore a suit seemed to like picking on the purple guy and Xanxus didn't like bullies, even if he knew he could be one. He had been pushed around by the bigger kids on the street and he didn't like it. So the man in the suit had to be pushed hard to see if he would hurt Xanxus or his new mum. 

The guy who had the braid was odd, he always tried to wear a small soft smile that Xanxus knew was fake. Xanxus didn't like fake people, and didn't want the guy to be fake around his new mum. He had been told that the fake was halfway between his age and the purple guys, and after asking him he was told he was thirteen years old.

Xanxus had decided that he wanted to test the fake first, so when the fake was sitting in the living room after having a shower he put his plan into action. 

Sneaking into the fakes room was easy, he was used to sneaking into places to steal things he needed. He had noticed that the fake liked to keep things very clean and that he was very particular about where things here put. 

His plan was pretty simple, he was going to hide the fakes hairbrush in the suit's room and them come back and trash the room, he would make sure he was caught making the mess so he would see if the fake would hurt him or not. 

Making sure the hairbrush was hidden very well in the floor board that he had noticed was loose in the suit's room he slipped back into the fakes to continue his plan. 

The first thing he did was pull all the bedding off the mattress and try his best to throw it all over and pull things off the dresser top when it slither off. 

'This was actually kind of fun.' He thought as he picked up one of the two pillows on the bed and threw it at the wall, knocking one of the hanging sheets off with a loud thump. 

Next Xanxus started jumping on the bed with pulling out the thread holding the feathers in the other pillow with his teeth, once he had a hole big enough to put his hand in he started throwing feathers everywhere as he jumped on the bed screaming in 'joy' to get the teens attention. 

The door was thrown open and the fake had a look on his face that Xanxus didn't understand, but that was okay. 

Xanxus threw a hand full of feathers in the other boy's face and kept jumping around. 

The fake looked funny with the little white feathers stuck in his hair, making Xanxus laugh at him. 

The other boy suddenly lunged at him, but Xanxus was sneaky and smart, so he twisted his body to make sure the other would be under him as he landed. 

With a smirk on his face Xanxus watched the others face morph into horror his his foot met his target of the other boys eye. He knew it would look like he had gotten beat up by someone and would hurt for days to come. 

After the violent contact was made he scrambled out of the room flinging the door shut behind him when he was suddenly struck with an idea. 

Xanxus quickly dashed into the kitchen and snatched up the extra bottle of soap that was kept under the sink. Running back to the fakes room he opened the top and started spreading it on the wood flooring in the hallway. 

The door slammed open and Xanxus took off towards the door leading to the front yard, he didn't bother looking back as he heard a body slip and slam into the wall and curses spew from the fakes mouth, and again the sound of a body impacting another wall before silence. 

Xanxus had been mildly surprised by the fact that the other hadn't caught him, but took great joy in the fact that he pissed the other off enough that he got to see a real emotion on the others face. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Xanxus knew that the suit loved his suit's and to get the man mad he would have to target his clothes, he waited until the man had left for the day before he grabbed the scissors that they had 'hidden' in a drawer in the kitchen and snuck himself into suit's room. 

It took longer than he thought but Xanxus was able to cut up every suit in the man's closet. 

Once done Xanxus scampered into his new mum's room where he knew she was resting after having spent the last day dealing with someone she called 'the dungeon bat' that morning, he curled up in her arms and closed his eyes happy with just being surrounded in her warmth. 

He wasn't sure how much later it was when there was a furious yell from the suit, and Xanxus knew that his mum knew he had done something, but all she did was ask him if everything was replaceable. 

When it was finally time for the two to leave the bedroom suit had snatched Xanxus up, holding him up by his under arm. His mum was in the shower and would probably miss any sounds happening in the hallway for the next few minuets. 

Xanxus shot the man a look of pure innocence before he ducked his head and sunk his teeth into his arm as best he could. The guy yelped and flinched, but didn't let him go so he struck again. When suit finally put him down Xanxus launched himself at the man and started to bite him from his fingers up his arms. 

The man didn't hurt him in return just tried to fend him off and get away. 

The sound of the running water was the only thing that made Xanxus cut off his assault, once the sound was cut he stood and kicked suit right in the fork of his legs before he took off into the kitchen where he figured purple would protect him until mum was dressed. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Xanxus had no plan for purple, and honestly what had happened had been an accident. 

Xanxus had wanted to sleep with his new mum, so he had crawled into her bed and kind of just passed out with her after a day of running around with her. 

He had known that purple slept with her and didn't really care, he just wanted his mum. 

But that night he had a nightmare about his old mother, purple had tried to calm him down but Xanxus hated being restrained in any way so he fought purple hard in his half awake state. 

He had left deep bloody scratches on the man's arms and had kicked him in the face hard enough to make his own foot hurt enough to snap him all the way awake. 

Purple, or Skull did nothing in retaliation just held Xanxus close to him rocking back and forth singing a song that Xanxus didn't understand. 

It was then that Xanxus knew that purple could have his trust, that he could let purple have a name in his head and heart.

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

The summer was coming to a quick close, Xanxus had been tested into a public school at grade one where he would be starting school that week. 

Viper was sad that she wouldn't have him with her all the time now, but knew how important being around kids his own age was. 

With a watery smile she portaled them to the school, walked him to his new class with a kiss to the top of his head, watched him walk into the room.

She had only had him in her life for eight months, but he had taken up a large part in her heart already. 

Viper had a job to do though so she wiped her eyes and went back to the house, the school had all of their cellphone numbers and knew not to let Xanxus go with anyone other than the four. 

It would mostly be Reborn or Fon picking him up, Fon was listed as Vipers adopted son as well and doing 'home schooling' when in reality he was the one who was putting Vipers information packets together. 

Reborn on the other hand was taking hits still but Skull and Viper were making him portkeys to get in and out of Paris. 

In the eight months that they had Xanxus they had only been able to build apartments in the two small countries of Austria and Slovenia. 

Viper was absolutely determined to cover the small countries Croatia, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Siberia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Macedonia by the end of the year in four months. 

Knowing she could handle land acquisition faster on her own, she only grabbed her cloak and checked that an alarm for when Xanxus was off school was set on her phone, so she could be home to greet him, before portaling away. 

It took Viper all day for the land acquisition, and she had finished up the last purchase moments before the alarm she had set went off. 

Portaling home, Viper landed in her and Skull’s room just in time to hear Reborn caterwauling in the shower, the man could not sing, he sounded like a cat being drowned. Viper couldn't hold her laughter in and snickered as she changed from her heavy gender and appearance hiding cloak into a pair of leggings and a long loose tee-shirt. 

Viper was still snickering when she exited her bedroom and passed a towel clad Reborn in the hallway, the look he threw at her just made her laugh harder, his singing was always hilarious to her, he preferred to sing pop songs, mostly things like Christina Aguilera and Cher, which just brought her more joy as when you looked at him you would think he would enjoy the Crooners like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. 

Reaching the kitchen Viper made Xanxus a quick snack of celery sticks with cheese-wiz and a glass of fruit punch. 

It wasn't much later that a tiny body made impact with the backs of her legs, spinning quickly she scooped him up in her arms and spun in circles raining small kissing across his cheeks and the top of his head. 

“Hello my little dragon, How was school?” Viper asked, happy to have the feisty child back in her arms. 

“It was okay mum.” Xanxus said slowly, with a passive look on his face. 

“Just okay?” Viper asked, concerned about the fact that it seemed Xanxus was hiding something from her. 

“We didn’t learn anything today, all we did was play games.” He admitted, “I didn't really like any of the kids, they are too....soft.” 

“Ah, Yes. Most of those kids have never had to fight for anything in their lives, you won't really start to connect with anyone until you reach closer to Jr. High, when more people from other walks of life start to join you.” Viper admitted, “I put you in this school because I knew that it would give you not only the chance to see how soft people can be, but because it has the best security to keep you safe that isn't a private school.” She explained. 

Xanxus nodded at her, his expression thoughtful. “Will you and the others stop training me now that I am at school?” He asked. 

Viper flicked her fingers behind Xanxus back to make his snacks follow them to the table as she sat with him in her lap so they could continue their conversation and he could get some food. 

“If you want us to stop we will, we can put you in a class to learn from a professional, we can wait until you are older and have some more coordination with your body, whichever you would prefer.” Viper told the boy, she wasn't sure what the other male’s in the house were teaching him, she hoped it was just simple things like how to fall and how to throw a proper punch. 

“Can I think about it mum?” Xanxus asked, looking up at her with an adorable look of thought on his face. 

Viper couldn't hold in the coo at how cute the child was, she peppered his cheeks with kisses again, pretending to be deaf to his cries of protest. 

It took Xanxus a week to decide that he wanted to try going to a self defense class geared toward younger children, they taught things like stranger danger, and how to make an opening to get away from someone larger than them, both male and female. 

Viper had to admit that she found it hilarious that the way they taught the children to get away from men was to use any body part available to them to hit the men in their crotches, for women they taught the children to bite and scratch as most women were vain or had very low pain thresholds. 

The class wasn't very long, only a month, but it gave him a taste of what being in a class like that would be like, and it taught him a few things that he didn't figure out from when he was on the streets and things that she and the others were never taught due to the way they had grown up. 

Fon had scoffed at what they taught in the self defense class until he had one day surprised Xanxus when he was waiting for someone to pick him up from school. Fon had grabbed Xanxus by his shoulders after sneaking up on him, Xanxus had dropped his center of gravity, throwing his head back, twisted and punched Fon right in the groin. Fon hit the ground with a cry of agony. 

Fon had to admit then that the class was good for the kid, but he grumbled that the only reason Xanxus had been able to drop him was because the martial arts master still couldn't coordinate his growing limbs properly when his brain still after so long kept telling him he was at his cursed height, he was the only one out of Arcobaleno that had already returned that was having issues with coordination. 

When the end of September rolled around Viper started to sketch out ideas of what to do for Reborn and Xanxus’ birthdays as they were on the Thirteenth and the Tenth, the only thing she could really think of was to take them on a tour of somewhere they had never been, she didn't think that Xanxus would enjoy doing to Disneyland, but maybe they could try Universal Studios or they could hit up a nice tropical beach for a weekend. 

Gifts were another issue for birthdays that Viper struggled with, she figured that maybe getting Reborn some sort of Chameleon would be a possible idea, he had loved Leon, so maybe it wasn’t a good idea, she knew that being offered another owl would feel like she was replacing Hedwig, so maybe she could give him a new fedora that magically enchanted to never get wet in rain and was temperature controlled. 

Xanxus was easy for a gift, he had been asking for a few months to be given a gun and lessons, she had gotten a gun specific to his age, just a small hand held, and had convinced Reborn to teach him. Viper knew that Xanxus in his original life had just learnt from watching Vongola thugs, but this time he would actually be taught properly. The boy would one day take the title of sharp shooter, Viper also had plans for him to learn to wield as many weapons as she could think of.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh so here is just a short short fluffy chapter, I'm having an issue with the next real chapter, so here...
> 
> and please if you notice any mistakes tell me so I can fix them....
> 
> uhhhh enjoy.

The beach was everything Viper thought it would be, hot and annoying with all the bloody sand, she had chosen to take them to the black sand beach on Maui, the sand was much coarser than regular sand which made it less likely to get into really uncomfortable places. The group had planned to stay on the beach for the first full day of them being on the small island.

When they arrived the first thing that Xanxus did was run right up to where the ocean met the sand and stand there, toes digging into the sand and a smile on his face. Viper loved that her son was smiling. 

Lucky enough they had arrived early enough that Viper could throw up a mist barrier that acted a lot like muggle repellent, they would not have an overly crowded day at the beach, the barrier would only let the most persistent people pass, others would have a suggestion that the beach was packed and that they should choose another. 

Skull had slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, his chin resting on her shoulder. The two stood there silent, just enjoying being together. 

“Mum, let's build a castle!” Xanxus called to her as he stopped down onto his ass a few feet from the shore line.

“A castle, little dragon?” Viper asked, “Will you have a princess to protect?” 

Xanxus shook his head, his wild hair flying around him. “No mum, you’re a princess and I know I don't need to protect you.” He told her with a wild smile on his lips. 

Reborn snorted at the two. “Well then the princess is there to protect the baby dragon.” He told them with a sadistic light glinting in his eyes. 

Xanxus didn't react like Reborn had hoped, he just smiled a sweet smile and started gathering damp sand into a pile. Viper reacted though, she twitched her fingers and a combination of his mist flames and magic made a sand ball, it flug itself at Reborn hitting him right in between the eyes. Fon couldn't hold in his laughter at the stricken look that crossed Reborns face, little did he know he would get the same treatment given to him by Reborn. 

Viper stepped out of Skulls hold and walked over to Xanxus, plopping down next to him she started to gather smaller piles of sand. 

“Will our castle have a mote?” she asked him, curious as to how Xanxus pictured the sand castle looking. 

“Yes mum, we need a mote to make sure that there is somewhere for all your snake spies to rest, we also need lots of towers for the birds.” He told her with a serious face, looking like he wanted nothing else other than her happiness. 

Leaning over Viper planted a kiss on his forehead, she had thought that she knew Xanxus when she worked in the Varia with him, but it seems she was wrong or at least that with a real family this time he was going to be different, not that she really cared. 

Behind her Viper could hear the other continuing with the sand ball fight that she had started, they thankfully stayed far away from the two building their sand castle. 

It was early afternoon that the two had finished their castle and broke for lunch, Fon, Skull and Reborn had all stripped down into their swim trunks and were spread out baking themselves in the sun rays. Snorting softly she pulled out their lunch of sandwiches and threw them at the trio, gathering her own and Xanxus’ she went back to her son and handed him his lunch and a juice box. 

“Eat, after we can go into the water.” Viper told him from where he was sitting in a sand throne that Skull had built after the three men had calmed down. 

  
  


The next day Viper had convinced the group to take the road to Hanna, with its hairpin turns and serpentine twists she knew that it would make Skull happy with the high accident chance, and the sights along the way would appease the others, she planned on having them pull over into some of the lesser known cave jumping areas, where they would be able to jump from a sort of ledge into a cave that was fed water from the ocean. 

It was something that Viper had always wanted to try, she wondered if it would feel a little like a Wonski-Fent. 

When they reached the cave that Viper knew would have many different cliff heights to jump from, she eagerly lifted Xanxus onto her hip and took off towards it. With an evil smile splitting her face when the two reached the edge of the cliff and looked at Xanxus, and thankfully he caught the look on her face before she suddenly threw him over the edge. 

There was a high pitched scream and a splash, then Viper threw herself over the edge, a shriek of exhilaration passed her lips from her descent, her own splash following. Xanxus glared at her as she resurfaced. 

“Mum, that was mean.” he pouted at her, even though he couldn't hide the pure glee that radiated from him. 

All Viper could do in response was laugh, she swam over to him, doing an odd spin in the water to apperate them back to the cliff top, repeating the following actions over and over again until Xanxus started to look too sleepy to keep himself from drowning. 

  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be prepared for some Christmas fluff...I'm still having some issues with moving the story along, so I kind of just let she happen...and my fingers do what they want, I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted but too bad, deal with the terrible fluffy-ness. 
> 
> as you can see there is a little cameo from the Weasley twins, not sure if they will keep popping up or if Christmas is just special...
> 
> With how much trouble I'm having I may just start doing like I said I would with Shadow to the Sun and start throwing down random bunnies that are living in the dusty corners of my brain
> 
> I hope you enjoy anyway

Soon it was mid December that Viper was hit in the face with the fact it was almost Christmas. She had been deep in the Swiss mountains running down an adult that had sold her bad information and set her up, she was pissed at almost getting shot. 

When she had skinned the man and glued him to the building where she had been set up she had wandered into Zürich to pick up chocolate that Skull always begged her to pick up. 

That was when the realization of the time of year had hit her. 

Forgetting about the chocolate she was going to grab she portaled home and started panicking over the lack of decoration, tree and gifts. 

"Why did no-one tell me it was almost Christmas!?!" She yelled, it was only midday in Paris and she knew all the adults and tiny teen Fon were home. 

Skulls head popped out from behind the couch where he was fiddling with a new engine. "Christmas?" He asked. 

Both Reborn and Fon came out of the kitchen looking confused, wanting to know what had Viper in such a state to raise her voice. 

"Yes! Christmas is important to kids, they get gifts and cookies and other things I don't know about." Viper rambled. "You know, Santa and naughty and nice lists and all the cool shit I never got." 

"Ah." Reborn nodded. "When is that again?" 

"Two weeks." Viper noted absently that her voice was dangerously close to a shriek. 

She started issuing orders. "Reborn, go get us a Christmas tree, a big one. Fon, you go buy us decorations, make them tasteful, nothing gaudy. Skull, go with Fon. I will move things around here to fit the tree, and start baking cookies, tomorrow we will go shopping." They all just stood there looking at her.

"Now! Move it! If you don't I will hex you." She warned, they all got moving rather quickly at her threat. 

Viper was standing in the living room looking at the lightly decorated space happy when she felt a little body collide with the back of her legs.

"Hello my little dragon. How was school?"she asked as she turned and scooped Xanxus up resting him on her hip. 

"Good mum. We wrote our lists for 'Santa'." Xanxus sounded unimpressed. He had never gotten a gift from anyone but her new family before, no matter how good he was. 

"Mum, Santa isn't real right?" Xanxus asked curiously. 

"No love, Santa was a man named Saint Nicolas long ago who became a legend and the patron of Children and Sailors, he was a kind man it’s said he gave away all his wealth to the sick and poor.” Viper told him she had promised never to lie to him so she wouldn't. 

Xanxus nodded, “That doesnt mean I dont want presents.” Was his serious reply. 

Viper pulled him close to her and giggled. “Yes presents are good to have, do you want one from ‘Santa’?” She asked him through her laughter.

“No, I want two from mum.” This answer made Viper beam at him. 

“And two from me you shall have.” she promised. “But I need your wish list you made so I can see what we can get you.” Viper said as she placed Xanxus on the ground again so he could retrieve the list from his school bag. 

List in hand Viper followed Xanxus into the kitchen for his snack of apple slices and peanut butter, turns out Xanxus loved the crunch of the apples and the smoothness of the peanut butter mixed. 

_Wish list_

_Bike like Skull_

_Coat like Mum_

_Fire_

_Dragon_

_Feathers_

_Tiger_

Xanxus’ list was very simple, well in length anyway. The hooded cloak was easy enough, she would just visit the closest magical Alley and pick him up a few, the feathers she could ask some of her bird spies for, maybe a Kneezel instead of a tiger, the bike, Fire, and Dragon would be an issue, unless she contacted the twins for the miniature Dragon she had gotten from the Triwizard tournament...Maybe the Twins would want to meet her adopted child, she trusted them to not tell the rest of the English where she was.

Kissing the top of Xanxus’ hair she went to her office to write a letter, the two way diaries that she had given the others had filled up and had not been replaced in the last year, she felt bad but with Xanxus she hadn't had time to get new ones made. 

Sending off a Raven, she had asked the bird about seeing if any others would donate a few feathers for her son, she was pleasantly surprised when the bird had violently shaken its wings and preened quickly to give her a few right away. 

It took three days for a howler to arrive, 

“Well well well,”

_“Our little,”_

“Snake in lions,”

_“Skin, it's been,”_

“A year, and now,”

_“You ask us for,”_

“Your miniature,”

**“Dragon”**

_“And we,”_

“Want to know,”

**“Why?”**

“Meet us,”

_“On the,”_

**“Eiffel Tower”**

_“On the eighteenth,”_

“At seventeen hundred,”

“Hours. Paris,”

**“Time.”**

The howler that wasn't actually a howler finished itself by tearing apart into little pieces of multicolored confetti. 

Shaking her head, Viper put the appointment in her calendar on her phone that she shared with the other four, and she nervously chewed on her lip trying to decide if she would take Skull and Xanxus with her. 

Viper eyed the Eiffel Tower wryly, knowing the Twins; they would want to meet somewhere in the lattice work of the tower closer to the top. Heaving a sigh she looked down at Xanxus who was holding onto her hand tightly. “Ready little dragon?” She asked him. 

“Yes mum.” Xanxus replied, his ruby eyes scanning the crowd of people one more time checking for any threats to his mum before he grasped Skull’s hand as well. 

“Good! Hold tight, and make sure you keep an eye on Skull, who knows what trouble he will get into without us watching.” Viper chirped, only to receive a scoff and side eye from Skull. 

With a quick thought Viper had a portal open onto one of the wider beams at the very top of the tower. There was no sign of the crazy duo yet, but that didn't mean much. Viper cast a quick illusion over them just so they could ‘pop up’ and hopefully startle them. 

When the clock struck Five pm there was a pop of displaced air followed by the tap of feet hitting the metal of a cross beam. Viper and her two boy’s stayed quiet and watched the two gingers as their arms pinwheeled to gain balance. 

Xanxus let out a soft bark of laughter as one of the twins hit the other in the face making him squawk and half spin turn and start a slap fight with the other. 

“Terror Twins.” Viper spoke, making her voice come out husky and deep. 

She felt a moment of mild joy as Fred and George both stopped all movement and looked around them wide eyed searching for her. She dropped the illusion hiding herself and her boy’s, but made it look like they were being let go from a storm cloud. 

Skull snorted at her side, and she was half sure it was at her casual use of dramatics. 

Viper caught Fred’s eye and winked at him grinning. “Gred, Forge, I would like to introduce you to my Wrath and my Cloud.” She knew that the twins would have no idea what she was talking about but they would take them to be nicknames. 

She watched as George’s eyes widened even more, making it look like his eyes would pop out of his head. 

What she didn’t expect was for them to throw themselves at her and envelope her in a hug, having let go of Xanxus just a fraction of a second quick enough to miss having him be thrown over the edge of the tower along with her. 

Viper let out a short shriek at suddenly having nothing solid under her and feeling the wind whipping her cloak around her, before she gathered enough function through her shock to create a portal under her and flip them so she would land on top of the twins instead of being crushed. 

Fred and George let out matching grunts of pain at the sudden impact. 

“Merlin Woman!” Fred gasped, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. 

“ _Warn a Marauder._ ” George continued, voice airy and strained. 

“You started it, you ‘babbling bumbling band of baboons’.” Viper snarked at them from the top of the pile, making sure to dig elbows and knees into squishy parts as she climbed off of them. 

They both snorted at her using McGonigal's term for them in their sixth year. 

“Right-y-oh.”

“ _We see you_ ,”

“Are fine, but,”

“ _Who are_ ” 

“ **They?** ” They spoke in their usual way, making Skull’s eyes cross a little and Xanxus watch them closely intrigued. 

“I just said, my Wrath and my Cloud.” Viper said with a pout in her lips. 

Skull rolled his eyes and decided to be the adult for the time being. 

“I’m Skull DeMort Vi’s boyfriend, and this is Xanxus Black. Vipers’ adopted son.” he introduced them, tugging Xanxus in front of himself as a shield when he noticed the spark of protectiveness in the two sets of blue eyes. 

The strikes to the back of the twins' heads echoed in the night air as Viper smacked them with an indignant fury at their brotherly instincts, she could take care of herself.

Viper stepped over the sprawled bodies of the Weasley’s, making sure to give them light kicks in the side. She picked up Xanxus and kissed his temple. 

“The thing I asked you for is for Xanxus.” She told the gingers simply, “I also wanted to introduce you to your nephew and my partner, you are family after all and I also need you to set up something for me with Luna and Nev.”

Fred squinted at Skull. “We don’t trust you.” He huffed. 

George was watching Viper and Xanxus closely. “ _I never thought you would be a mom so young Prongslet, he’s cute!”_ He squealed, sounding like Skull’s old fan-girls, making him twitch.

George roughly pushed Fred off his legs and jumped to his feet, swooping in he stole Xanxus right from Vipers arms making her glare at him heatedly, as she restrained herself from snatching her son back and dumping George in the Bermuda Triangle. 

Holding Xanxus out in front of him by his armpits George looked him over and spoke his thoughts out loud. “ _Wild hair kind of reminds me of yours when you were little-er, his nose is cuter than yours, eyes that make you think of a precious stone, but that glare...it would match yours exactly if not for the fact that the shape of his eyes is more cat like compared to your doe eyes. I approve, little sister. We will make a prankster of him, the third generation of the Marauder’s.”_

As George made his thoughts known Fred stood behind him nodding, agreeing to everything. It was the unholy light that lit up Xanxus’ eyes at the thought of being taught to prank people that made Viper sigh deeply. 

“You can teach my little dragon whatever you want...later.” Viper gave in with good grace, knowing that this was something she would not be able to prevent. 

Skull snorted behind her, he thought she had given in too easily, but then he thought back to the stories that Viper had shared with him about the two gingers and winced, he did not want to be the target of any of their pranks. 

Suddenly there was a small metal box tossed at her face, Viper caught it on instinct and tucked it away in her pocket gently, even if the miniature dragon was just an animated statue she would treat it carefully. 

Looking at the two Viper informed them. “I would like for you, Luna and Nev to come for Christmas and meet the rest of my new family. I would bring you to meet then now, but the other two are busy and I would prefer to have us together for Xanxus’ first Christmas with us.” 

Fred nodded, George just tipped Xansus to the side and tucked him under his arm like a rugby ball. 

“Can we keep Wrath until then?” Fred asked.

Viper Accioed her son glaring death at the two. “No!” She hissed, sounding like an angry mother dragon. “You can't have my little dragon!” 

Both gingers backed away, and apparated away without saying ‘Goodbye’, both knew that Viper would get back to them about Christmas. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is a filler chapter, straight up just filler.  
> The next one planned is Christmas eve and then one for Christmas day.  
> I felt bad that I had been quiet for so long that I just....sat and got this done in like half hour.  
> It's crazy short, but like a said filler. 
> 
> ummmmm  
> Shadow to the Sun should have chapter three up in about a weeks time.  
> Rewind will not get another update until the twenty-fourth.  
> And it is possible that I will start with the Teaser/Prologue collection soon, I have many fandoms I would like to touch, and have gotten some ideas off others that are unsure of where to take something, soooooo yea...
> 
> enjoy

Fon hated that he was so uncoordinated, he hated that he was so tall-short that he couldn't get his limbs to function properly, he hated how Reborn and Skull laughed at him whenever he tripped over thin air, and he especially hated it when Xanxus, the little demon, would use it against him. The only one that didn't obviously torment him about his lack of coordination was Viper, the woman was sadistic in the little ways that didn't make it blatant that she was getting amusement out of his pain, but it was helpful in getting him used to his corners. 

Fon stood out in the backyard of the house that they were living in, as some sort of odd patchwork family, facing off against Viper, both were in workout clothes and sparing. Fon knew that if he could make his limbs work that he would have won more than the two measly matches he had, out of the nine that they had already participated in that day. 

Viper was ruthless, especially on days where they would add weapons into their matches, today it was one of those days. He had several numb spots along his limbs from the senbon that Viper seemed to be favoring today. Thank fuck that they had banned flames and magic from their spars, Fon knew that no matter his coordination he would always loose to her if those were integrated, Viper was probably the most powerful out of all of them, thank every god he could think of that he was NOT her enemy. 

The tenth and last match if the day was short, Fon fell on his back, Viper having used a quick kick combo, one to his hip, ribs, shoulder and then head taking him out again. Fon huffed pouting up at the red head as he took her hand letting her pull him up back onto his feet. 

“Must you always win in the quickest ways possible?” He grouched at her.

“Yes.” Viper laughed at him, she shook her head and made her way into the house. 

“Fucking sadistic bitch.” Fon grumbled under his breath when he was sure the woman was far enough away.

He had no want to face her temper, Skull was the only one who could weather the fury when she lost her temper, it wasn't that she went soft on the purple haired man, it was just that he was the most durable of them. Then again Xanxus didn't seem to be able to ignite the woman's wrath, the monster had injured all of them, and the only thing he had gotten punished for was for something Fon had not been told about, not that he really cared. 

As soon as that thought passed through his head it was like he summoned the devil himself, he felt the five year olds body connect with his back forcing him back to the ground to eat the dirt, literally. 

“Teach me!” The miniature monster demanded from where he was sitting on Fons back. 

Fon grunted and rolled over to dislodge the kid. “Why?” Fon asked, sliding a serene smile onto his lips. 

“I want to protect mum!” Xanxus growled at him and he rolled away from the soon to crushing weight of the older boy. 

Fon felt his eyes widen and a vicious smile cross his mouth. 

The two stayed out in the backyard for an hour, Fon didn't start to teach the boy any form of combat skills, only pushed the boy through flexibility training and some light muscle building exercises. He thought maybe this would be a better way to work himself up again, instead of just going right for the end result he needed to go back to basics, gods fucking knew he was getting sick of Reborn randomly bursting out laughing at him in the mornings when he kissed the walls in a violent manner, or when Skull would use magic to trip him or move things in front of his path to make him trip, the Cloud was horrible in the way he found every opportunity to make Fon meet the ground in unpleasant ways. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, our Christmas eve chapter a day early...

When the morning of December twenty-fourth dawned Viper was woken by a hyper five year old as he pounced on her. 

"Mum, mum, muuuuuuum! Wake up! Muuuuuuuuum!" Xanxus whined in that particular way that most children used to get what they wanted. 

Heaving a large drawn out sigh Viper sat up and caught the jumping child.

"I'm hungry." Xanxus told her as he buried his face in the junction between her neck and shoulder. 

On the other side of the bed Skull groaned and rolled onto his stomach, smashing his face deeply into his pillow. 

Viper rolled her eyes at the man before a wicked gleam entered her eyes. She threw Xanxus at Skull, making the child land on the man's ribs forcing the air from his lungs, then she launched herself at the two and started wiggling her fingers into Xanxus' side making him squirm and burst into peals of laughter. 

Skull being on the bottom of the pile got the brunt of the child's struggling, he grunted each time a sharp elbow met his spine or ribs, giving in he bucked his body making the two jewel eyed people fly into the air as he flipped over and prepared for impact. 

When the combined weight of Xanxus and Viper hit him he groaned deeply before he started his own attack on Viper's sides, giving Xanxus an opening to join in the assault. 

It didn't take long for Viper to roll off both of them, she didn't get far as Xanxus let out a war cry and launched himself at her, his weight being just enough to push Viper off balance. Her back met the mattress and her eyes widened at the matching look of sadistic glee that was on both males faces. 

"Uh oh." Was all Viper was able to say before she was tag team tickle attacked. 

An hour later the three surfaced from the bedroom with sore sides and cheeks, it had been fun just to relax and act like children, to play and gang up on each other. 

  
  


Viper knew that they would have a full house the next day, but she wanted to make today special as well, following an old German tradition they would all get to open one present tonight after they had dinner, usually this gift would be pajamas that they would all wear for opening the rest of the gifts the next morning, but it wasn't even noon yet so Viper set about making breakfast for all the males in the house. 

Skull and Xanxus sat at the table in the kitchen thumb wrestling as they waited for breakfast to be served, the sounds coming from down the hall let Viper know that Fon and Reborn were awake and most likely getting ready for the day, she had told the both of them beforehand that there would be no work that day unless it was an emergency. 

Fon was the first to arrive and he slid into his chair with as much grace as he possibly could, for some reason he was having issues getting used to his growing body, but it made for great entertainment as he tripped over his own feet. 

“Maa, Viper, what are we having for breakfast?” Fon asked, before he noticed that there was no tea prepared. 

“Fruit salad, eggs and bacon.” Viper told him as she flicked her wrist getting her magic to start on cutting up the fresh fruit and cooking the bacon. 

She turned to the coffee pot and the automated kettle to start with making their drinks for the morning. 

Reborn stumbled into the kitchen looking very ruffled, he had finally relaxed with them and no longer tried to be put together all the time. The man had not gotten dressed in his usual suit instead he wore a pair of black sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. 

Viper grinned at her family, all of them looked relaxed. 

“Vi?” Skull asked, “Coffee?” The pout on his face was enough to make her snort and turn away. 

With a flick of her fingers the coffee pot along with a tea pot settled themselves on the middle of the table, the three older males fell on the hot drinks like wild animals, they snarled at one another and by the sound of the yelp Skull had bitten Reborn. 

Opening the fridge she pulled out the chocolate milk for Xanxus, poured him a glass and took it over to him, placed a kiss on the crown of his head. 

“Are you excited for tomorrow little dragon?” she asked him, wanting to know if he was looking forward to meeting not only new people but to his first real Christmas. 

“Yes mum.” Xanxus nodded, Viper had to try really hard not to coo over him, he looked adorable in his dragon pajamas that she had gotten from a store in the Paris alley. 

There was a little buzz that filled the kitchen letting Viper know that it was time for her to start the eggs. Turning quickly from the group she made her way over to the stove. Viper hated how eggs tasted if she used her flames or magic to cook them, so it was all manual. 

It didn't take long for the rest of breakfast to cook, but during that time she enjoyed listening to the others bicker, Xanxus would insult one of them, and in turn they would start sending insults around in a group, after Skull and Xanxus had heard her call Fred and George ‘babbling bumbling band of baboons’ they worked hard to come up with interesting insults without swears. Her favorite that morning was ‘You’ll never be half the man you're mother was’. 

The day was kept light, games played, movies watched and far too many cookies consumed between the five of them. 

  
  



	16. Chapter 16

Viper woke on the twenty-fifth to the sound of four apparitions, three gunshots, three yelps and cries of her birth name, and a whole slew of cursing. She didn't hesitate to fling herself out of the bed in her new cobra themed night gown to bolt down the hall, her flames already producing the basilisk from second year behind her as she skidded around the corner into the living room. 

Blinking she took in the picture in front of her, not even thinking of the mad cackling from Skull and Luna. Reborn had a gun out and pointed at Luna, who had her head thrown back reveling in the chaos, his finger poised on the trigger, Fred, George and Nevelle were all lying on the floor, Fred and Georges hands were behind their heads in imitation of what police officers told criminals to pose, Nevelle had his hands over his face as he rolled over groaning. 

“Hello, Queen of snakes.” Luna’s voice broke Viper out of her stunned stupor. 

“Luna luv, Gred, Forge, Nev, I would like you to meet Reborn, ignore his sunny personality.” Viper greeted them, throwing a minor glare at Reborn for still having his gun trained on Luna. “Stop it Reborn, they are family.” 

The tension in the air was still thick, even with Skull laughing and gasping for air. 

“Mum.” came a little grumble from behind her and viper spun quickly banishing her basilisk illusion to scoop Xanxus in her arms as he rubbed his eyes to get them clear of sleep. 

The three on the floor sat up, Nevelle looking confused and the twins looking like they were planning a kidnapping. 

Viper ran her fingers through Xanxus’ hair. “I want you to meet your Aunt Luna, and Uncle Nev. they were my best friends when I was younger.” she told him, turning slightly to point him in the direction the two sshe was introducing were. 

To everyone's surprise, Luna skipped towards them, and pulled Xanxus from Vipers arms without protest. 

“Little Dragon who has Wrath filled fire, Thank you for giving my Queen of snakes her heart.” Luna said baffling Skull and Reborn. 

Xanxus looked into Luna’s eyes, searching for only something that he would be able to find, and relaxed in her arms dripping his head on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her neck. Viper stood watching the two and smiled at how simply Xanxus accepted Luna, no test required.

Nevelle stood blushing about as bright as a strawberry, cleared his throat and did what he does best and treat everyone like they are important. 

“Merry Christmas, I’m Nevelle Longbottom, that is Luna Lovegood, and those to menaces' are Fred and George Weasley, thank you for opening your home.” he spoke evenly, no trace of the shy, fearful young boy he had once been. 

“Yo, I’m Skull DeMort, the guy who shot you is Reborn, the little man is Xanxus Black, you all know Viper, and Fon I believe is still in bed.” Skull introduced them, pulling on a part of his training from being part of a noble house. 

Rolling her eyes, Viper headed to the kitchen to flick her fingers and get her magic and flames working on making breakfast and drinks, she left Xanxus to the mercy of Luna to go get dressed.

She hoped that today would be as amazing as the stories she had been told had been, anything to give Xanxus the perfect first Christmas as her son. 

The noise from the living room was almost too loud in Vipers opinion, she was in the kitchen making sure that there would be food for the monsters to fill themselves with. It didn't take her long to have the food ready and out on the table that she had expanded to fit all nine of the people in her home. 

With a quick call of, “Food.” She had seven people descending into the kitchen and eagerly elbowing one another to get their chosen seats. Fon was the last to arrive blurry eyed and tripping over his own feet, he didn't notice the extras as he dropped himself in the second last available chair at the end of the table. 

“Now that everyone is awake and here, dig in.” Viper announced as she herself sat and grabbed the pot of hot chocolate she had put on the table. 

The others descended on the food on the table like a pack of wild animals, viper thank herself for having the forethought to dish up for herself and Xanxus. 

Breakfast was a lively affair, there were jokes being thrown around, as well as insults. Viper gave a silent thanks to Death that the twins had not brought out pranks for breakfast, she would have had to retaliate, meal time was not a time for their pranks.

After breakfast the group gathered in the living room, each finding a place to lounge with their hot drinks in hand, Xanxus had sat himself in Vipers lap, waiting almost impatiently for his gifts. 

“Skull, you wanna play Santa?” Viper asked the purple haired man. 

Skull didn't bother to answer as he leapt to his feet and started manually handing out gifts from the massive pile that was in front of the tree, for everyone other than herself, Luna and Xanxus they had their gifts chucked at their heads, Reborn was the only one to catch each parcel, the others had them often bounce off body parts, leaving them with red marks on their skin from the impact. 

Viper herself paid no attention to anyone other than Xanxus, a camera nearby, cloaked in mist flames and set to snap pictures every two seconds. She wanted documentation of Xanxus’ first Christmas to add to the scrap book she had for him. 

The First gift her kid opened was the feathers she had gathered from her bird spies, most of them were from ravens, but there were a few among the group that were from a few magical species. 

The Second was a book on the uses of plants that were both magical and mundane, it was the gift from Nevelle. 

Third was a box of sweets, again they were magical and mundane, the card that hung off it said that it was the first half of the gift from Fred and George. Xanxus dug through his mountain to find the second half, and when that was open he found that it was a stack of simple pranks that were magical but wouldn't use magic to set them off. 

Fifth was his gift from Skull, and Viper was surprised to see that it was a child sized replica of her motorbike, there was an envelope stuck to the seat that had her name on it, Xanxus ripped it off and handed it to her to read. 

_ Vi,  _

_ I made sure it was layered with a ridiculous amount of safety charms, but it also can only be started with cloud, mist, or sun flames, I knew he wanted a bike, so I did the best I could to make it as safe as I could.  _

_ Skull.  _

Viper nodded at Skull showing she accepted what he had done, she had a pleased little smile on her face that Skull was able to both think of her son but herself. 

Xanxus’ seventh gift gave Viper pause, it was a copy of Beedle the Bard’s fairy tales, along with a few hand braided bracelets and necklaces, Viper could feel the protection charms woven into them along with chaps to make them unbreakable. She nodded to Luna in thanks and a little lost and confused for the book. 

The eighth gift was something she had picked up for Fon, he had had no idea what to get a child, so she had gotten seven cloaks like her own from the magical alley and charged Fon not only the price of the gift, but for the annoyance it was to go to the alley and pick them up. 

The ninth gift had her eyeing Reborn unhappily until the twins yelped at exclaimed about the fact that the man had gotten one of their new toys, a miniature tiger statue that had been animated much like her dragon, it slept and purred, did everything a normal animal would except for eat and leave waste to clean. Mildly pleased with the fact it wasn't a living animal viper let it go. 

The last and final gift to Xanxus was the second gift she had promised him. It was the dragon from her fourth year, along with a note promising to show him her out flying the real ting and to tell him the stories of everything that had happened that year. 

After all his gifts were opened Xanxus flung himself at each of the yelling “Thank you.” and hugging each person tightly, before settling back in Vipers lap playing with the dragon that she had added an extra charm to to make sure that the fire it breathed would not catch anything on fire or burn Xanxus. 

_ “So,“ _

“Little dragon,”

_ “How old,” _

“Are you?”

_ “And when did,” _

**“Viper adopt you?”** The twins asked in their special form of speaking. 

“I’m five.” Xanxus had answered only one question, he didn't like to think that Viper wasn’t really his mum, but maybe mum by choice was better than mum by blood. 

“Xanxux is mine, hes five, shove off, don’t ask stupid questions.” Viper cut the two gingers off before they had the chance to ask anything else she deemed stupid.

“The little dragon will become even more fierce than the horntail, and the queen of snakes will break the need for the sacrifice of the rainbow with the help of the lost fluffy sky and the dragon, she just needs to learn how to love marshmallows as much as she loves dragons and adrenaline junkies.” Luna's voice cut through the tension of the room, making the other Arcobaleno stare at her in confusion. 

Viper caught Luna's eye a little confused, she knew that the dragon was Xanxus, and the marshmallow was Gesso, but she was last on the ‘fluffy lost sky’, and got a beaming smile in return. 

“Ahh, Luna, that...never mind.” Nevelle sounded so lost that Viper struck up a conversation with him about what he had been doing the last few years. 

Luna watched Skull, her eyes clouded over slightly. “Skull of Death, has met Death, and had his respect.” she whispered. 

“Uh.” Was the intelligent reply that slipped his lips. 

“Make sure that Viper buys that house on the hill soon, the Falcon will come back, but the angry rain will not.” Her voice was matter of fact as she told Skull this. 

“I will.” Skull confirmed “Are you a seer?” he asked hesitantly, only receiving that blinding smile in return. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to wait until the new years to post this...but then I realized that I should probably try to catch up to where I had written up to.

Christmas and new year out of the way Viper felt like it was time to get her ass back into gear, she had accomplished her goal of getting Croatia, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Siberia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Macedonia apartments set up by December twenty-third.

Her next countries to build in were Monaco, Andorra, and San Marino, Viper wanted them to be done by the end of March, she knew that Fon’s birthday would be at the beginning of March but she was confident that between the four of them, and Xanxus because he demanded to help, would be able to finish in time. 

She had been back in time for four almost five years, and had gathered three other Arcobaleno and she had something close to ten more years before they were gathered again, hopefully by that time she had Xanxus set as the Sky of the Varia and Ottavio already dead, the fucker had hurt her son in the future. 

Viper quickly wrapped her cloak around her and portaled herself to Monaco, she had always loved the countries that had their capital named after the country itself. She needed to make quick work of her current countries. 

There was something in the air that was sending random bolts of panic down her spine, she hoped like hell it wasn't a Dark Lord coming for her ass under the idea that she was the most powerful witch alive.

  
  


Viper got home late that night, she had a run in with another information broker, but this one was someone she had never heard of before and he was a vicious little fucker, he hadn't liked that Viper was a broker, believed that he was the best, and had attacked her. The annoying ass was a storm and had enough fine control that he had been able to disintegrate her clothes except for her cloak, they had been in the red light district and it spelled a not very awesome time for her. 

Between having to fend off his flames and the pimps of the area it had taken her longer than it should have to end their lives and get home, Viper was very unhappy, but she was satisfied, she had summoned a likeness of Fluffy and had him tear into the pimps, she herself went after the storm. When she was finished all that had been left behind was chunks of humans and a large pool of blood. 

Letting her cloak fall off her naked shoulders Viper made her way to the unsuit that was attached to her bedroom, turning on the shower she stepped away to let it warm and to check over her body for wounds, she hurt far too much to have gotten away from the encounter free of anything. 

Looking in the mirror she intently scanned her figure, there was a burn on her left collar bone, a cut across her temple that wasn't bleeding and looked to be caused by storm flames, a bruise along her left ribs, and an odd hand shaped bruise on her right hip. Shaking her head Viper bent to dig through the cupboard under the sink for her healing potions, in doing this she missed the door opening and the quiet intake of air. 

Viper jumped when a calloused hand ran itself down her spine gently, twisting around her green eyes met purple and she quickly calmed. 

"Goddesses Skull, make some noise when you walk or I'll put a bell on you." She told the man affectionately. 

He said nothing in return, just sliding his finger tips around the outside edge of the bruise on her ribs. Viper shivered at the soft touch, it raised goose bumps along her skin. 

"I'm okay, I've had worse." Viper whispered, trying to take the lost look of Skull's face and comfort him. 

"That is not actually comforting Vi." He told her face free of expression. 

Viper winced, she had never been good with people and even worse when it came to comforting them. 

Skull grabbed her hips, careful of the bruise she had on the right, and lifted her onto the counter.

"Stay there I'll bandage you up." He told her tone full of demand and worry. 

Viper just rolled her eyes at him and barked in response. 

Skull rolled his eyes at her and started to tend to the burn on her collarbone. 

“Hey Skull, did Luna tell you anything that sounded a little odd?” She asked, cautious, she knew that most people just ignored what Luna said, but she knew better Luna was never wrong and no matter what others thought of the willowy blonde Viper would always follow her advice. 

“Hmm, oh just to get you to buy the house on the hill, and that Death respected me. She said something to Reborn that I overheard about hearing more little feet running around in the next ten years, I just figured that she meant the curse.” He replied absently, not really paying attention to anything but treating Viper’s injuries. 

Viper jolted a little at the thought of possible children, she hissed lowly as it jared her ribs. Skull had finished disinfecting the cut on her head and pouring a pain reliever over her burn, he went to reach for the bruise cream and Viper caught his hand and gave him a little head shake. 

“I want a shower, then you can put on the paste, and the bandages.” She told him softly, looking at him from under her eyelashes, still holding his wrist in a light hold. “Want to join me?” 

Skull sucked in a deep breath, he didn't even bother to answer her as he stripped himself of his clothes and jumped right into the shower stall. Viper Laughed at him and hopped off the sink counter. 

Skull raised an eyebrow at her and asked. “You wash my back and I’ll wash your, well everything?” 

Viper swatted his arm as she stepped under the spray with her eyes closed and head tipped back, thanking herself for getting a large four person shower installed, she kind of loved the space and the fact that it had multiple shower heads.

Viper gasped in shock as she felt a large calloused hand rubbing soap into the skin of her lower legs, when she opened her eyes she had to look down to where Skull was kneeling on the floor focused completely on massaging the soap bubbles into her flesh. When he reached her knee he switched to the other leg, paying just as much attention to it as he did the first. 

Once her lower legs were rinsed from the shower spray Skull started working on her thigh, when she felt his thumb dig into a particularly sensitive spot Viper tried and failed to bite back the low moan. It felt heavenly to have those hands working her tight muscles. 

Once Skull reached the apex of her thighs he switched to the other, he loved Vipers legs. It wasn't that they were long like most men seemed to like, but they were shapely, her calves were well defined like a dancer, and her thighs were thicker than you would expect from someone as petite as her. He had been hard since he had started washing her of the grime and sweat from her day, hell he had been half hard since he had walked into the bathroom to find her bruised and blood covered bent over at the sink. 

Viper herself had to concentrate on her breathing as Skulls fingers brushed her sex, she didnt think he was really paying any attention to where where he was actually touching, just focused on getting her clean, but she kind of wanted to explore their intimacy a little more, they hadnt really gotten past oral sex, hell he didnt even let her use her mouth, he had claimed that just the thought of her mouth on him was too much, but hell maybe a sensual shower was what she needed to distract him enough to get her way. 

She groaned deeply when Skull’s fingers finally moved onto her abdomen, it wasn't that the space of skin was an engorgeous zone, just that it was sensitive because it wasn't a place that was usually touched, it felt weird, but a good weird. Skull was still on his knees in front of her, he had barely allowed the soap to be rinsed from her skin before he lent forward and buried his face in her stomach, placing light kisses as he reached behind her to wash her lower back and ass. 

They didn't really speak, the only sounds that echoed in the tiled room was Vipers gasps and groans and having nerve endings stimulated and muscles relaxed. Skull didn't pay any attention to her breasts, he was just washing her and exploring her, he wasn't really thinking that this was something that could almost be considered foreplay, he just wanted to continue to learn every millimeter of her skin, and burn it into his memory. 

Once Vipers body was washed, Skull moved onto shampooing and conditioning the waterfall of thick blood red hair, other than Vipers legs he loved her hair and eyes, they were so vibrant, like bright spots of color in a grayscale world. 

Skull’s breath stuttered almost to a stop when Viper dropped to her knees and started to repay his insistent washing, it seemed to him almost like she had a hidden agenda, but he was far to dazed to figure out what it was, she was slow as her hands skated along his skin, even when she worked her hands over his cock, that tore a deep growl from deep in his chest. 

Skull was pretty much a pile of goo when she had finished running her fingers in her hair to get the last of the conditioner out of his hair, he wasn't expecting her to spin him and push him against the wall as she dropped carefully back to her knees in front of him, with a grunt as his back connected with the water warm wall his eyes widened as her hands gripped his hips to keep him pinned. 

Viper licked her lips, she was a little afraid, the girls in her dorm at Hogwarts used to tell stories of their explorations with the males in their house, but if there was one thing Viper was it was driven. Keeping her hands holding Skull’s hips pinned to the wall she took an extra moment just to inspect Skull, he was larger than most she guessed, it wasn't like she had any experience with others. 

She took a studying breath, and decided that she would just follow her instincts, leaning closer she stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked the underside of him from root to tip, taking a moment to contemplate the taste of the precum that was beading there as she swirled her tongue there, it wasn't terrible, but not something she would become addicted to like Lavender Brown claimed to be. 

Viper didn't allow herself to think anymore as she closed her lips over the tip of Skull, careful of her teeth she slowly slid him further into her mouth pressing her tongue into him, she slowly pulled back making sure that her lips and tongue dragged against him, before taking him back into her mouth again a little further and repeating the action before she felt him bump into the back of her mouth. Her jaw hurt a little, she wasn't used to keeping it open this long, but from the moans and gasps of air she could hear from Skull he was enjoying himself, and that was the whole point of her trying this. 

Feeling a little more courage surge in her veins Viper decided to pull him as far into her mouth and throat as she could, the man hand a mild down turn to the shape of his cock and it made it easier that she had thought to push herself onto him until she felt his pubic hair brushing her nose. Above her Skull jucked in a deep breath and suddenly she had his hands in her hair, his nails scratching at her scalp. 

Viper lost time as Skull’s hands started to guild her pace as she worked her mouth and tongue over him, but suddenly there was a sharp pull on her hair away from him. 

“Vi, I’m gonna-” Skull said frantically, as he pulled her off him just in time for his release to hit her throat and breasts before the water washed it away. 

He slid down the wall, ass meeting the tile of the shower floor as he gasped for air, his hands were still tangled in Vipers hair and he dragged her forward to indulge in a lazy kiss. 

“I love you.” He murmured against her lips.

  
  
  
  



	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having issue with chapter twenty, so, it may be awhile, I have got to get Fox-five-four-eight out of my brain, then it will probably move smoother.

Viper had no idea what to think, it was late February that she was patched through from a head hunter of all things to a German familia that had branches spread across Canada, they were looking for an information broker that was good and could take care of themselves so they would never need to supply protection. 

The VonThurn originated from the royal line in Germany, they had fled the country when the people started to revolt over their taxing the people to death. Viper knew that the Donna of the family was an unusual woman, she used to have an infatuation with Reborn that had lasted even after the curse, last time she had been the one to approach the VonThurn’s over working with them as a broker. 

So here she was, freezing her ass off in February, in the Rocky Mountains. Fuck she hated the snow. 

“Viper.” A curvy female in her late twenties said off to Vipers left. 

“Donna VonThurn, a pleasure.” She returned, and she tilted her head to get a better look at the woman.

She was a brunet, with short hair that barely reached her shoulders, it was a riot of curls that looked natural with the disarray that they were in, her eyes were almost black with how dark of a brown they were, and her skin was oddly pale only brightened by the splotches of red staining her cheeks and the small scattered freckles that dusted the bridge of her nose and cheeks, she was surprisingly the same height as Viper, both being fairly short, just she had more meat on her bones than Viper did. 

“Glad you could make it, now right to business then we can have pleasure.” The Donna purred at her. “I am Lynne VonThurn, and would like to have you as a contractor, if you agree you will leave me a way to contact and pay you, but you will also build those delightful apartments in Canada next.” 

Viper nodded her head, calculating quickly how much longer she needed on her current apartments before she could jump over the ‘pond’ and get them set up. 

“Agreed, what information do you need?” Viper kept her voice even, the VonThurns had always set her on edge but they were a good familia, they didnt deal in human trafficking, or anything that would harm children, hell they even refused to sell drugs to people under the legal age. 

“There is a man, he is stealing children in the cities of Alberta, I cannot find him, I cannot track him, and the Dead won't speak of him.” The Donna hissed like an enraged cat, her eyes flashing a bright ruby with the symbol of the greek letter Omega instead of a pupal. 

Hissing back Viper told the woman, “Send me the last three cities he has stolen hatchlings from, and the names of the hatchlings.” She tossed a secure phone at the woman, it had only her contact information in it, and asked,”Do you want me to deal with him?” 

After catching the cell phone, the Donna shook her head. “Detain him, the VonThurn’s must make an example of him.” 

Viper nodded at the odd woman and portaled back to her home in Paris, chewing on her lips she discarded her cloak, and flopped down on the couch and tipped her head back until her skull met the back of the couch with a muffled ‘thunk’. 

Noone was awake, the house was completely silent, it was odd to Viper who had gotten used to Skull randomly bursting into song, Reborn swearing up a storm, Fon running into things, or Xanxus causing his own brand of chaos. A small smile crossed her face. She loved her family, she was so, so happy that this time they were a family not just strangers who were far too angry at life to even try to see each other as humans, but at this moment she was ecstatic that they were all asleep. 

Being as quiet as she possibly could Viper stood and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, she stood leaning against the counter watching the electric kettle as it worked to boil her water. She wasn’t tired, had too many thoughts running through her mind, most of it was the issue that the VonThurn’s were having, why was a man kidnapping children across the countries, what were they for. 

The kettle clicked off startling her from her deep thoughts, she huffed at herself and poured herself a cup of her favorite strawberry swirl tea and waited for the tea bag to steep. Flicking her wrist she summoned one of her oversized tee-shirts, as she waited she stripped herself and banished her clothes to the laundry room, she may not be tired but there was no point in not being comfortable. 

Back on the couch sorting through her emails Viper jumped when one of her Mist dragonflies portaled right in front of her face, it was buzzing around in panic, frantic to get its message to her, she had to make the little creature repeat itself multiple times before she understood. 

The Estrano Familia was attacking one of her apartments in Belgium. 

She let loose an enraged scream and woke the whole house, the sounds of them scrambling out of bed and door being thrown open didn't even register to her, her hair floated in the air around her and her eyes were glowing in the dark. With a snap of her fingers she had herself Reborn and Skull dressed in battle gear, and she spun to put her attention on Fon. 

“Watch my son, if any harm comes to him, my bonded storm or not I will kill you!” She growled at a scared looking Fon before snatching up Skull and Reborns hands, pulling them behind her into what looked like a very violent portal. 

“Estranio are hurting my kids, search, rescue and destroy.” Were the only words that she could force out from behind her teeth. 

They arrived to chaos, the kids were all scrambling still into the panic rooms, the ones that were injured being helped by others, there were a few small bodies laying on the ground not moving, not breathing, and Viper lost it, her vision went red, and she knew no more. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry folks, I have kinda hit a road block on all my fic's.
> 
> I'm trying but...
> 
> anyway, I'm open to some recommendations cause I'm hoping some reading will jump start my brain a little

Skull felt Viper tense beside him and looked at her, but in the microsecond it took for him to blink and turn his head Viper was gone. He knew that he didn't really have to worry over Viper, she had taken down two dark lords, had death at her back and more than anything had himself for backup. 

He did the only thing he could at this point and jumped into the fray himself, he caught a flash of Viper taking down the Estraino and make the decision to get the children into the safe room in the basement, it had a ward on the entryway that would only allow the people living there in, it was a clever piece of magic that fed off the ambient energy that all humans left behind. 

“Reborn! I’m gonna move the kids, can you cover both Vi and I?” Skull yelled over the chaos. 

“Rodger!” Reborn yelled back, and fired his gun hitting three goons sneaking up on a little girl, one who was too young to even try to fight back. 

Skull scooped the kid up, and tucked her under his arm like a rugby ball, and took off to throw a shield charm between more goons and a group of kids circled around a few more children under the age of eight. When the older kids saw Skull a little of the fear in their eyes left and they listened to his short orders. 

“Get behind me and follow, I will shield you from harm, but you have to stay within the ring of my flames.” Skull focused on his flames to make a circle around the kids showing the edges of where her newly cast shield was. 

He tossed the kid in his arms at the oldest looking boy, and headed off into the apartment building. He figured once he had these kids in the safe room he would ask a few of the older ones if they would help him with collecting the others. 

There was suddenly a huge boom and it caused Skull to flinch minutely, but the loud cackle that he could just recognize as Viper made a tiny smile bloom on his face. With the boom it looked like most of the goons had started to focus on Viper, which could be a cause for concern, but Skull pushed it away and focused on getting the ever growing group of children to safety. He was glad he had used the same shield that they had based the ward guardian the safe room off, because they were the same in a way he had been able to link them, and it used the already registered energy signatures to allow kids to pass into the shield. 

He had needed to use his own gun a few times to get rid of goons standing between him and his destination, but they never really paid any attention to him or the kids behind him, it made him curious, but he figured that Viper had done something before she went bugnuts. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Viper woke from her rage when a bullet lodged itself in her shoulder, it was just the right kind of pain for her to snap out of the haze, she had a handgun in her right hand, and her flames were solid illusions of the hounds of hell tearing the people attacking her apartments apart, and she could also feel her magic in the air from the combat spells she had been casting. 

She took a deep breath, it tasted of the blood in the air, and looked around, she saw Skull had gathered up a group of kids and was leading them into the safe room in the basement of the building. She cast a quick notice-me-not charm at them geared for people over the age of seventeen, the oldest kids in this building were all under that age and she hoped like hell that the Estranio didn't have anyone that young on their side. 

She saw Reborn just on the outside of the mass of people firing off shots and hitting each person dead center of their foreheads, she cast a quick spell on him as well so he wouldn't be noticed by anyone other than herself, she didn't want him attacked, just like she didn't want the children of Skull attacked anymore. 

A wicked thought crossed her mind and she used the toe of her boot to quickly scrape runes into the dirt to pretty much create a dirty bomb, she hopped back using her magic to give her a greater boost so she was far enough away before the countdown she had embedded with the runes went off, there was a huge boom, and the shockwave was harsh enough that she watched as a few of the goons fell over with blood pouring out of their eyes, nose, and mouth. 

She only took a few moments to catalogue the damage she had wrought before she dived back into the fray, apparently the Estraino had sent most of their forces, she was surprised that they hadn’t all already been taken care of. She fell back into the dance of battle, dodge, aim, fire, duck, fire, jump, spell. The adrenaline was amazing, and terrible all at the same time, she missed the rush of being in life threatening situations, but she now had her son to think about, she couldn't be reckless. 

The fight was slowly ending, some of the goons seemed to have decided to retreat, Viper was torn between letting them go or taking chase and making sure that the Estraino got the message of not to fuck with her, the choice was taken away from her by Reborn firing his gun and taking the ones retreating down.

Viper waved her hand at Reborn and took off the spell before the two headed into the safe room to check on the kids, and give them medical attention. Viper hadn't seen Skull in a while and it was starting to worry her.

The two arrived at the safe room and Viper felt her heart skip a beat, Skull was laying on his back, his breathing was shallow and blood was pooling around his head and left shoulder. Viper dropped to her knees by his left hip and slapped her hand down in the center of Skull’s chest making him groan. 

His eyes opened and met Vipers, they were a little clouded with pain but they were focused enough that Vipers heart stopped stuttering at the thought of the Cloud dyeing on her. 

Reborn pushed her away from Skull, his brilliantly bright yellow flames already dancing on his fingers as he kneeled on Skull’s right side. 

“Oi Lacky! Report!” He snapped out, worried but showing it the way he knew best. 

“Bullet in left shoulder, pain is at seven, blood loss negated.” Skull spoke clearly. 

Reborn sighed in relief and grabbed Skull by his hip and underarm and rolled him towards himself exposing his left shoulder and the wound. 

“Viper, I need you to dig out the bullet, I can try to numb the area with my flames, but if you can do both all the better.” Reborn directed her, his voice steely. 

Wrapping her flames around Skull’s shoulder she pushed them deeply into the skin focusing on the illusion of there being no pain, she didn't know if it would work, she had no understanding of how nerves worked in the body, or any idea of how anesthetics worked. She didn't bother digging with her flames or her fingers and just summoned the bullet out of the wound. 

Skull screamed.

Viper Cried.

Reborn was pretty much done with this shit, he hated acting as a medic. 

It didn't take long for Reborn to heal Skull, the Cloud flames speeding up the Sun flames and propagating the activation, Skull had passed out from the pain after Viper had summoned the bullet from his shoulder so Reborn left him there out cold and went off to check on the children. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
